


The Blacklist

by catsg7



Series: The American Spy [2]
Category: Spooks | MI-5
Genre: Cat and Mouse Games, Eventual Smut, F/M, Harry is ruthless, Mild Language, Non-Graphic Violence, Ros is a hard-ass, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2018-11-16 10:33:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 66,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11251338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catsg7/pseuds/catsg7
Summary: It has been nearly a year since Nyssa was first dropped into London after being blacklisted by the CIA, and she still has no clue who did this to her. Harry Pearce, Lucas North and the rest of the team at MI-5 are the only people who could help her, but there are trust issues on both sides. Meanwhile, a mysterious faction is targeting operatives on both sides of the ocean. Can Nyssa and Lucas work together to find out who these people are before they become the next victims?





	1. Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to my first Spooks story, The Reluctant Spy. I would suggest reading the first one because it introduces my original characters, and my main plot from the last story carries over into this one. I am writing these stories like episodes in a series. Each one has their own small plot threads that get a conclusion in the end, but the main plot keeps you guessing.
> 
> Warning: This story has mild language and some intimate scenes, but I do not describe things that I deem unnecessary to carry the story.
> 
> I don't own any of the Spooks characters or the series. This is a story written for both enjoyment and to build a fan base. My original characters are inspired by an American spy show that was on television a few years ago. I always envisioned putting the two shows together, only with the American spy as a female. This is my take on my crazy imagination. If you like the stories, please review at the end. I love getting encouragement and even constructive criticism. It helps me improve. Thank you.

It was very early morning when Nyssa woke up. The sun was barely visible when she heard heavy breathing next to her in the bed. She carefully turned on her side toward the man lying next to her. He had turned over in the night and had his back to her. She reached out with her fingers and lightly brushed over the skin, tracing the random domes he had tattooed on his back.

There were eight of them. That was significant. She remembered that he said eight years of his life was stolen. Her fingers brushed over each one as she studied them carefully. Eight years in a Russian prison. She closed her eyes and leaned over to kiss his shoulder. He stirred just slightly before his breathing became heavy again, and she could tell he fell back asleep.

Lucas never told her he was in prison for those eight years. The tattoos told her already from the moment he took off his shirt last night. She knew what Russian prison tattoos looked like and what each one represented. Lucas' tattoos were different in that way. She imagined that his were more personal, more meaningful only to him.

Nyssa rolled over on her back and closed her eyes, letting her memories relive that moment when he pulled his jacket and shirt off in front of her.

_Lucas kissed her deeply, with the same urgency of a man desperate for water. He tugged at her t-shirt until she was free from it, then he tossed it on the floor, not caring where it landed._

_While their tongues fought for dominance, Nyssa pulled off the jacket, letting fall to join the shirt on the floor. She worked on the buttons until the last one gave way._

_Lucas made a trail from her lips to her neck and worked his way down to the shoulder, kissing and nipping as he went. Her head fell back and a moan escaped her lips when he bit the base of her neck leaving a red bruise._

_Nyssa buried her fingers into his hair as he traveled back up her neck then pulled away to look into her eyes again. His feelings changed when he saw the surprise on her face as she stared at the tattoos on his chest and arms. He had forgotten about them. He felt shame and embarrassment at the thought of stopping everything to explain why he had them._

_He lowered his head and started pulling away until she locked her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a long deep kiss. When she broke the kiss, Nyssa touched her forehead to Lucas' and looked into his blue eyes._

_“Not now. Tell me later. Tonight, I just want you,” she whispered._

_He nodded his head, and they resumed their lovemaking, neither of them saying a single word the rest of the night._

Lucas moved again bringing Nyssa out of her memories. He turned until he was repositioned on his other side, this time facing her. His arm reached out and wrapped around her waist. He gently pulled her close to him as he slowly opened his eyes and smiled.

This was how he wanted to wake up, staring into Nyssa's beautiful hazel eyes.

“Good morning!” he said.

Lucas reached up to lightly touch the bruise that formed on her jaw where he hit her last night. He was angry at himself for hurting her like that, but she appeared not to hold any grudges. In fact, it was Nyssa who started the fight and kept it going until he finished it with a kiss.

He still did not understand how they ended up in bed together. One minute they were in a physical confrontation, and the next minute they were practically tearing each other's clothes off. It was as if they were possessed by some uncontrolled need. They could not get enough of each other last night.

Lucas stared into Nyssa's eyes, and for the first time since he came back from Russia, he felt content. It was also the first time in eight years that he slept through the night and did not wake up in a panic.

Each night, Lucas would be visited by a different interrogator and put through unspeakable torture. They all wanted to know the same thing. _Tell me about Sugar Horse._

He would sit bolt upright in the bed drenched in sweat. The room felt like it was closing in on him. He could not breathe. He had to get outside, run as far as he could until he was so exhausted he could barely turn around and make it home. It usually happened in the very morning hours, three hours before dawn.

He lightly brushed his fingers across her jaw and felt her flinched a little from the pain. He sucked in his breath as he pulled back slightly. It was a knee-jerk reaction when he threw that punch. He blocked her kick to the groin, and without thinking, he connected his fist with her jaw.

When he was a boy, he was taught never to hit girls. When he entered the service, he was taught to defend himself in any way necessary. That meant if he needed to strike a woman, he would.

The day he came back from Russia he got into a physical fight with a terrorist operative, code name Tranquility. She was ready to take him down, even kill him. There was no room for chivalry when everyone’s lives, including his own, was at risk.

Nyssa was not looking to kill him. She wanted to take him down a few pegs all to prove a silly point. She was a tomboy and was used to fighting. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it. It excited her getting physical with Lucas like that. Nothing was more of a turn on to her than having a man hold his own and beat her in a fight.

“I'm sorry that I hurt you,” he whispered showing true remorse.

“I actually deserved it.” She smiled. “I've had worse, Lucas. I'm just glad you didn’t break my jaw.”

He reached toward her and gently kissed the bruise. He pulled back to look in her eyes again before positioning himself over her. He kissed her on the lips. As the kiss deepened, their hands explored each other’s bodies again. His lips touched the bruise on her jaw then traveled down the column of her neck to renew the teeth marks he made where her shoulder met her neck. Nyssa closed her eyes and tilted her head back to expose more of her neck to his actions.

They made love more slowly than last night, taking the time to explore each other and learn what pleasures them the most. Another hour had past with Nyssa resting her head on Lucas' chest and Lucas staring upward toward the ceiling. His fingers lightly caressed her upper arm causing goose bumps to form.

Lucas listened as Nyssa’s breathing changed. It became more deep and steady, and he could tell that she fell asleep. His mobile rang somewhere on the floor. He tried not to disturb Nyssa as he untangled his arms and legs from hers and repositioned her in the bed.

He got out of the bed and reached for his jacket. He pulled his mobile from the pocket. It was Harry.

Lucas walked into the bathroom. He took one last glance at Nyssa to see if she was still asleep before he closed the door for privacy.

“Hello, Harry,” Lucas said.

_“Lucas, I need you to come in. There's been a development from the flash drive you gave to Malcolm.”_

“Right. I'll be there in an hour.”

Lucas hung up the phone. He looked around Nyssa's bathroom and noticed that she only had a shower and no bath tub. Ever since he got back from Russia, he would try to avoid showers. The water spraying in his face brought back unpleasant memories.

At least the shower stall was a large size. He had a problem with claustrophobia as well. He would just have to be careful not to get the water in his face.

He had no time to go back to his flat for fresh clothes, so a quick rinse off would have to do. Twenty minutes later, Lucas was finished with the shower and redressed in his clothes. He leaned over and lightly brushed his lips to Nyssa's forehead before he left the apartment.

Lucas stepped off the pods at Thames House and walked toward his desk. He took off his jacket and draped it over his chair. He glanced over at Malcolm who was working on piecing the data on the flash drive back together. He had been trying to save what he could and restore the corrupted files, but his efforts were proving useless.

“Good Morning, Malcolm. Is Harry in?” asked Lucas bringing Malcolm back from his thoughts.

“Morning. Yes, he's in his office.” Malcolm returned to his computer screen, his attention captured by his project.

Lucas walked toward the office quickly acknowledging each of the team until he came to Harry's door. He knocked then opened the door as soon as he heard Harry's voice.

Ros watched as Lucas crossed the room and went into the office. She made a mental note of Lucas' appearance. Apparently, their officer was wearing the same clothes he had on yesterday.

Harry motioned for Lucas to take a seat and waited until Ros came in and closed the door behind her. She took the chair next to Lucas and turned to Harry for the meeting to begin.

“I have briefed Ros on a matter concerning Nyssa. Only she and I at Section D really know about what has been going on this past year. I think it is time to bring you in,” Harry said to Lucas.

“Before we began surveillance on Nyssa, Sam Walker rang me and told me of her situation. There have been other officers in the CIA who have been investigated for various crimes and have disappeared. It is assumed that they dropped off the grid to avoid prosecution, but Sam thinks there is more to it than that.”

“This has something to do with the people who blacklisted Nyssa?” asked Lucas.

“Sam believes there is a shadow faction either turning operatives or killing them. They would make false accusations against the operatives, effectively turning the agency against them. Then, they would extract them, turn them for intelligence or make them into assets. Those who refuse are killed,” informed Harry.

“How do we protect Nyssa from these people? What do we do?” asked Lucas.

“Lucas, this might be bigger than we thought. The flash drive that you retrieved from Marlin contained encrypted data that was programmed with a self-destruct code. Malcolm was unable to copy the information, but he did get a glimpse of a list of names before the files became corrupted.”

“We don't know what the list was in reference to. Malcolm recognized two names before the list disappeared. Nyssa’s name and yours,” said Ros.

“I don’t understand,” said Lucas in confusion.

“Marlin told you there were players in the game that no one realizes. We assumed he was talking about the Al Qaeda, but what if he was talking about someone else,” informed Harry.

“Do you think Nyssa's blacklist case may be tied to the bombing in the marketplace? Nyssa needs to know this, Harry. She has to understand what she is getting into.”

Lucas became agitated. His sudden need to protect her was strong. Both Ros and Harry began sensing his frustration.

“You can’t tell her anything about this. That is an order,” said Harry.

“Harry, she will be exposed. You can’t serve her up as bait for these people.” Lucas was becoming angry. “It's one thing if she went in fully aware of the risks. At least she would have a choice.”

“This is a risk we must take if we are to gain any type of advantage. The less people who know about this, the better. If you want to help Nyssa, then you stay close to her and report anyone who may come in contact. Is that clear?” Harry ordered.

“Yes, Harry. It is perfectly clear.” Lucas spoke in a low tone while fighting to keep his temper under control.

Harry nodded his head accepting the answer and dismissed Lucas. As Lucas left the office Ros followed him to the door then turned back to Harry.

“What is your opinion, Ros? Do you think I am doing the right thing?”

“I believe Lucas has become too emotionally involved. Did you notice that he is wearing the same clothing as yesterday? And, his behavior just now……”

“The relationship between them has progressed rather quickly.” Harry took a deep breath before he continued. “I would hate to lose either of them, but if I had to choose between them, you know what my answer would be. Let’s hope that Nyssa is as clever and resourceful as Sam said she is.”

 


	2. Gathering Intelligence

Nyssa and Lucy sat in a stolen BMW on Exeter Street facing the Savoy Hotel. They spent the morning scanning the hotel and planning an exit route if things went wrong.

After Lucas left the apartment, Nyssa woke up an hour later from the music playing on her cell phone. Jack had called her with information about an International Security Convention happening in London for the week. All of the top intelligence agencies from around the globe, as well as foreign ambassadors, were at this convention. Many NSA operatives were also attending the event. It was the best time to try and find someone with the clearances to get Nyssa a copy of the memo that authorized her blacklist.

“Okay, let's go over it again. Once I go inside, I want you to take the car to the back of the hotel. Wait for me there,” said Nyssa.

“Great! Let's do this!” stated Lucy as she reached under her short skirt for the .380 she had tucked into her thigh holster. Nyssa grabbed her sister's arm to stop her from going any further.

“Hold it, Lucy. This is not an armed assault.”

“Do you honestly think that they're just going to give you a list of operatives at this convention?”

“I don’t need a list. I just need a name. One name, and I don’t need a gun for that.”

“You’re no fun, Nyssa,” Lucy said as Nyssa exited the car and crossed the street toward the hotel.

Nyssa entered the hotel and walked toward the registration table. She was wearing another outfit from Lucy's collection, charcoal pin-striped pants suit with a white cami underneath. She wore her black heel boots and carried herself professionally, like she was meant to be there.

“I seemed to have lost my badge. Can you direct me to the security office?” Nyssa asked in an English accent.

The girl at the desk pointed to a door at the other side of the room. Nyssa thanked her and waded through the sea of people toward the room. She took a quick look around, then carefully opened the door and went inside.

Nyssa closed the door and turned around to see that she walked right into a meeting crowded with hotel security officers. All eyes were on her the moment she entered the room.

Nyssa smiled and moved toward the table with the roster booklets. She did not expect that at all. She assumed that perhaps there were a couple of guys there that she could tell a simple story to, but there really was nothing she could say that would sound convincing to the entire department.

“Security briefing…. Brilliant, please continue,” she said with her accent.

She hoped that they would ignore her if she continued looking like she was there with a purpose and not look lost. She quickly paged through the roster of names scanning for any of the guests registered that looked familiar.

Finally, she found a name of a man she knew for years, a former Egyptian spy turned delegate, Bakari Essam. As she was reading the page, the supervisor was questioning who she was.

“I’m a department liaison. I've come to inspect that everything is up to snuff. I see you have everything under control. I should report back to my supervisor.”

Nyssa hurried out the door before the other person could finish his sentence. She rushed down the lobby hoping she could get lost in the crowd. What made her stop and turn back around was Richard Dolby exiting one of the conference rooms. Nyssa stopped again when two of the security officers spotted her and called out.

“Miss…… Miss…… May we have your name please?” asked one of the officers.

Nyssa bolted across the room toward the stairway. The officers immediately radioed for backup as they took off after her.

Nyssa tore through the door and ran down the stairs until she found the service door. The two men were right behind her. Nyssa tried each of the side doors looking for a way to escape but was met each time with a locked door.

_You’ve got to be kidding me._

Finally, she found a door that she could open only to enter the laundry supply closet. Nyssa grabbed a towel and turned around just as one of the men caught up with her. She snapped the towel in his eyes causing him to fall backwards in both surprise and pain.

The second man arrived for Nyssa to wrap the towel around his neck and use his momentum to slam his head into the wall. Nyssa side-kicked the first man in the stomach as he tried to stand, then she punched him in the face knocking him back down.

Nyssa dropped the towel and ran to the last door which turned out to be the exit. She made it to the back of the hotel, but there was no sign of Lucy. She cursed under her breath and ran for the door of a pub called The Coal Hole. It was as good a place as any to hide from the hotel security.

She entered the pub and discretely made her way to the other side of the building. More hotel security entered the pub and scanned the area for any signs of the woman. Nyssa found the front exit and took it.

Once outside again, Nyssa removed her jacket and walked with a crowd of pedestrians down the street with the jacket draped over her arm. She immediately crossed the street as she found herself back in front of the hotel again. This time, there were two police vehicles parked in the front.

Nyssa kept walking until she was clear hoping that the CCTV cameras did not pick up where she went. She walked for many blocks in her heels until she felt it was safe to take a bus back to her apartment.

Lucas was at his desk when Richard Dolby entered the grid looking like a man on a mission. He watched the man say something rather heated to Connie then stomp toward Harry's office.

After Lucas had his morning meeting with Ros and Harry, he left for his flat to change and grab some breakfast before returning. He avoided the constant looks that Ros had given him ever since he entered the grid wearing the clothes he had on the night before.

Lucas believed that Ros suspected something was going on between him and Nyssa. She bluntly asked him not very long ago which made him angry at the time. He could not explain why, except that at the time he was still wrestling with his feels much like Nyssa.

They were so much alike in many ways. He concluded earlier after he returned from Russia that one of the reasons his marriage failed was because he put the job first. He kept things from Elizabeta as a means of protecting her, but it may have been more complicated than that.

Could he and Nyssa have a relationship despite all the baggage they already had. At least with Nyssa, he did not have to lie about his past. They both knew what the other did for a living, so that would not be a problem. Yet, they both worked in a business where lying, even to the people they loved, was as natural as breathing.

Lucas knew that Harry had put him in a bad position. He worked very hard to gain Nyssa’s trust when it came to her blacklist, and now, he would have to lie to her again. If anything happened to her, it would crush him. He would have to keep her close to him, but at the same time, in the dark. He knew she would not like it, but if that was what it took to keep her safe, he would.

The sound of Dolby's voice escalated in volume. He was definitely angry about something. Lucas glanced up from his computer, as did everyone, to watch the commotion in the office. He saw Harry stand up and hurry over to his door. He opened it and immediately called for Ros and Lucas to join him and Dolby in his office. Lucas followed Ros in the office and closed the door.

“Someone had better start telling me why that woman isn’t in a cell right now,” said Dolby in a loud, angry tone.

“Apparently, there was a situation at the Savoy hotel two hours ago,” Harry addressed his two officers. “A young woman matching Nyssa McBride's description entered the security office of the hotel and flipped through the guest roster of a conference in attendance there. She ran when security officers attempted to question her, and she physically attacked two of them while trying to escape.”

“It was her. I was there. What I want to know is, when are you going to arrest her and turn her over to the Americans?”

“I will order a full investigation of this and find out what is going on. We will get to the bottom of it,” assured Harry.

“See that you do, or I will take charge of this personally. I want her delivered to the Americans. She is their problem, not ours.” Dolby stormed past Lucas and out the door.

Dolby was in the pod when Lucas closed the door and took a seat next to Ros facing Harry.

“Harry, that hotel is hosting an International Security Conference. What was Nyssa doing there?” asked Ros.

“That is anyone’s guess. She may have a lead that we are unaware of. I want to know what was so important in that guest roster. Is someone at that conference involved with this shadow faction? Lucas, you need to tell us if she has any information about the case.”

“This is a surprise to me as well, Harry. It only goes to show that she still doesn’t trust me.” Lucas let his temper come through in his voice.

“Perhaps, you need to try harder. I have some concerns over your ability to be objective in this case,” said Ros.

“What are you saying, Ros?”

“I believe Nyssa has played you. I believe you are too emotionally involved with her.”

“Be careful what you say, Ros.” Lucas could feel the anger building inside of him.

“Did you sleep with her last night?”

“That is none of your business.”

“When it concerns Nyssa, it is our business. Either she is making a fool of you, or she will get herself and anyone who is with her killed. Don’t take this as a negative, Lucas. We need to get her under control and to stop meddling in this case. If she doesn’t stop, she might get the attention of the people we are trying to find.”

“Find Nyssa and bring her here,” Harry ordered Lucas. “Let's hash this out once and for all. If she refuses, arrest her and drag her here.”

Lucas was still fuming when he left the office. He grabbed his coat and stormed off the grid. Ros and Harry watched him go.

“My only hope is that he is not falling for her,” said Ros.

“Yes, and God help them if she feels the same,” said Harry with a heavy heart.

 


	3. Surprises

Nyssa finally entered her apartment two hours later to find her sister laying on her stomach on the bed with her upper body propped up by her elbows. She smiled at Nyssa who was in no mood for games.

“Do you happen to know how painful it is to walk twelve blocks in heels? I can't feel my feet right now, and I may have sprained my ankle,” said Nyssa as she nearly slammed her door.

Before she took another step, she unzipped her boots and kicked them across the room. She felt the burning in her feet as she walked across the cold wood floor in her stockings.

“What happened to you? I said to park in the back of the hotel.”

“I was in a stolen car with a gun. The cops showed up ten minutes after you went inside. Our mission was in danger of being compromised, so I returned to base.”

“And, broke into my apartment.” Nyssa tossed her jacket at her sister and proceeded toward the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator for a bottle of water.

“I wouldn’t have to if you let me have a key to your apartment,” Lucy said as she stood up and crossed the room toward the bar.

“Aren’t you more comfortable breaking in?” Nyssa took a few sips from the bottle before placing it on the bar.

“What is your deal with me having a key?”

“It’s a security thing. I don’t just give out keys to people.”

“I'm not people. I'm your sister. I'll bet your boyfriend has one,” Lucy said with a pouty face.

“He is not my boyfriend, and no, he doesn’t have one.” Nyssa sighed.

“Well, he's something to you, or you wouldn’t be acting like this. Did you have a fight last night or something?”

“Why are you asking that?”

“When I saw you this morning, you had quite the bruise on your jaw. Now, you’ve covered it up nicely with the makeup. But, boy, it was a shiner.”

Nyssa walked around the bar past Lucy and headed toward her wardrobe against the wall by the bed. She pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a sleeveless knit shirt. She started changing her clothes while Lucy walked toward the refrigerator for something to snack on.

“He came over last night, and things got a little heated.”

“He hit you?” Lucy asked in a concerned tone. Nyssa could tell she was getting angry.

“Before you start assuming anything, I was the one that started the fight. We were yelling at each other, and I got so mad I punched him in the ribs.”

“Really! Should have aimed a little lower.” Lucy laughed as she pulled out a yogurt smoothie then closed the refrigerator door.

“Actually, after I got him in the ribs, I did aim a little lower,” Nyssa smiled. “But, that’s when he popped me on the jaw. It was an accident. He apologized after it happened.”

“I'll bet that wasn’t the end of the fight. You have a nice little red bruise on your neck as well.” Lucy walked over toward her sister and examined the bite mark on her neck. “If I didn’t know any better, I'd say it looks like a bite mark.”

Nyssa's cheeks became red as she turned away from her sister pretending to looks for her slip-on shoes. Lucy's eyes grew big as she asked the next question.

“Did you sleep with him last night?”

Nyssa ignored the question which Lucy took as yes response.

“Nyssa, how many times are you going to touch the flame before you realize that it burns?”

Nyssa was about to respond when her cell phone rang. She picked it up and saw that it was Marilyn. Nyssa gave a heavy sigh then answered the phone.

“Yes, Mom?”

_“Nyssa? Hi, sweetie! Will you pop by my house for a bit? I have something for you to do for me.”_

“Mom, I'm pretty busy right now.” Nyssa rolled her eyes while Lucy giggled.

_“Come by anyway, darling. It's very important. I'll see you soon.”_

Before Nyssa could say more, her mother hung up. Nyssa growled as she sat on the bed to put her shoes on.

“So, you’re going to see Mom?” asked Lucy with a mischievous grin on her face.

“I suppose so. She hung up before I could say no, so I guess she's expecting me.”

Lucy loosened the cap off of the smoothie drink and took a sip.

“Good. While you’re there, why don’t you ask her for Dad's car? You know that when she moved back here, she brought that thing with her from Georgia.”

Nyssa looked at her sister with confusion. Obviously, she knew nothing about that. She had forgotten all about that old car. She assumed that her father, Frank, still had it.

“You mean that old ’68 Mustang? The one that Dad was always working on?”

“That's the one. It's still sitting in Mom's garage. I guess she still kept it because of Dad.”

Nyssa finished getting her shoes on and walked back toward the bar for her water.

“Well, if you knew about it, why don’t you take it?”

“I prefer more modern sporty vehicles like a Porsche 911. Besides, you and Dad were always the gear heads.”

“Yeah, leaving me to do all the work.” Nyssa took one more drink then turned to grab her leather jacket.

“You do realize that asking Mom for anything is like asking a Russian mob boss for a favor. He'll give you what you want with a smile, but believe me, you'll pay for it.” Nyssa grabbed her keys from the side table by the bed. She pocketed her cell phone, ready to go.

“Alright, I'll ask her for the car,” said Nyssa as she opened the door. “Hold down the fort for me. I’ll be back.”

Lucy smiled as Nyssa walked out of the apartment. She remembered those days when her father tried to teach Nyssa how to work on car engines. Michael was still an infant, and Lucy had no interest in cars. So, Nyssa was the oldest and became the “son” that Frank always wanted.

He was a hard man, especially on Nyssa. Yet, when they were once a real family, Nyssa thought the world in Frank. He was her best friend and greatest father. He could do no wrong in her eyes, and she loved him very much.

As time moved on, the work with the Irish mafia in America was becoming more demanding and more dangerous. Frank spent days and sometimes weeks away from his family. Tensions were rising in the McBride household causing a growing rift between Frank and his wife.

That rift extended to the children. Nyssa had the worst time accepting that Frank was not the father she remembered as a little girl.

When Frank left for New York or Boston, she would spend more time with her rebellious cousins in Georgia. When Nyssa was a young teenager, her family did not earn enough money to pay their bills. So, Nyssa would join her cousins in stealing and stripping cars for parts. Other times, she would transport the family moonshine across the county lines. Transporting illegal alcohol made the most cash, and Nyssa was glad to do it. It was also where she learned her driving skills.

Each time her father returned, Marilyn would tell him of his daughter's criminal activities. He became angry and fought with Nyssa each time becoming more physical. Nyssa was left with some bruising on her body.

When the FBI started investigating Frank, they offered him a deal. He would get witness protection for himself and his family if he testified against the Irish mafia. He chose another path, to abandon his wife and children and travel to Ireland to join the McBride family in the IRA.

Marilyn and her children never saw Frank again until Lucy left when she turned seventeen to find him in Ireland. Like her father, she joined her Irish family and fought with the IRA against the British.

She fell in with a radical Irish terrorist group who did not care so much for a just cause as they did for carnage and fear. They wanted to kill as many people as they could, no matter who they were.

Lucy changed at that moment and left the IRA, vowing never to get involved with them again. She spent some time traveling the globe living off of the money she took from the bank robberies she pulled while working for the group. She stayed off the grid until she heard that Nyssa had returned to London.

Lucy made a decision to change her life around and join her sister. But, she was having fears about Nyssa's obsession with this blacklist. She hoped that her sister would accept her new position and work with Jack helping the people who really needed it.

Lucy kept quiet about that all morning. She felt that it was another conversation for another time.

A knock on the front door brought Lucy from her thoughts. She put her smoothie drink down and pulled her .380 from its holster under her skirt. She walked over to the door and pulled it open.

Lucas was met with the end of the .380 a few inches from his face. He held up his hands in surrender then glanced up to see Lucy holding the gun. She had a stone expression and made no attempt at lowering her weapon.

“Can I help you with something?” she asked with her voice having the same heavy American Southern accent as her sister.

“Lucy McBride,” said Lucas. “I'm not here for you. I want to talk to your sister.”

“Well, she's not here.” Lucy lowered her gun and walked away leaving Lucas to close the door.

Lucas entered the apartment and closed the door. He scanned the room for any clues to Nyssa's whereabouts.

“Where is she?” he asked.

Lucy walked to the bar and placed her gun on the bar. She reached for her smoothie drink and took another sip. She turned around to face Lucas before she answered him.

“I can’t say. She's just out. That’s it!”

“Where is she, Lucy?” Lucas asked again. The irritation was coming through in his voice. “She's in a lot of trouble.”

“And, who are you? Her knight in shining amour? Just what is it with you and my sister anyway?”

“Look, you need to trust me. She's in danger, and I’m trying to help her.”

“Trust you? That's funny. I don’t know any Brits that I can trust. I don’t even trust Jack. I only put up with him because Nyssa trusts him. See, I don’t think you've earned that privilege just yet, even if you two did sleep together last night.”

Lucas threw her a surprised look. She raised her brow and nodded her head.

“Yeah, I know about it. I saw the bruise on her jaw too. I was all ready to go find you and rip you a new one when she explained that it was an accident. She didn’t say anything about you, but I know my sister. She's been through more than she can handle, and she doesn’t need this. So, if you want to see my sister, you’ll have to find her on your own. I’m not gonna to help you.”

Lucas could see that there was no point in arguing with her. He left abruptly and nearly slammed the door on his way out. As he was taking the steps two at a time, he pulled his mobile phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

“Malcolm, I need you to do a scan of the CCTV cameras for me. I need you to help me find where Nyssa was going in the last hour. Send me the address when you get it.”

Lucas hung up the phone and rushed to his car. He hoped and prayed that he would get to Nyssa before Dolby or the police would.

 


	4. Establishing Trust

Nyssa parked the Indian a block away from the house. She casually walked around the area glancing at every house before she came to her Mother's doorstep. She reached for the knob when she heard her Mother's voice through the nearby window.

“Nyssa, darling, I'm so happy you could pop in for a visit,” Marilyn said holding a cigarette in her left hand. “I was watching you. Why are you wandering around the street like that?”

“Just having a look around the neighborhood. You called me to come over. Remember!” Nyssa commented as she opened the door and walked inside.

“Oh, yes, I did. Want some coffee, dear?”

Marilyn headed for the kitchen as Nyssa closed the door and followed her.

“Mom, have you seen anything or anybody in the neighborhood that seems suspicious to you? A new neighbor who seems nosey, or a service van that just sits in the street?” Nyssa glanced out the window while her mother worked in the kitchen brewing coffee.

“I don’t know, darling. I don’t pay that much attention.”

_That’s a new one!_

“Mom, you know everything that goes on in this neighborhood. Don’t give me that.”

“Well, there were two men who were quite interested in this house, as a matter of fact. They were very nice.”

“So, you talked to them? They were in this house?”

“Yes, I served them tea and sandwiches. They said they were with the government.”

At the mention of government, Nyssa's eyes snapped to her mother, and her breath caught in her throat. She rushed to the kitchen and stood at the entrance.

“Government? British government? Who do they work for?”

“I'm not sure, sweetheart. In all the years, I've never known who you worked for. You and Lucy traveled the world always telling me that you can't talk about it. It was always a mystery with you two. Here is your coffee.” Marilyn passed a full cup across the counter to Nyssa. “One of them was very interested in that old car of your father’s. I took him in the garage to see it. Which reminds me…”

“Wait…. You left one of them alone in here?” Nyssa lowered her voice as she asked interrupting her mother. “For how long?”

“I don’t know. Ten minutes, I suppose. Oh, I do remember what I want you to do. I have a friend who has a son who needs some help…. Nyssa, what are you doing?”

Nyssa was no longer listening to Marilyn. She ran her hands over the edges of the furniture and under lamp shades. She was checking under the dining room table when she glanced across the room and noticed the electrical socket. Something did not seem right about it.

Marilyn watched her daughter in confusion as Nyssa crawled across the floor to examine the socket. She pulled a pocket knife from her jeans and used the blade as a screw driver to open the socket.

The socket looked as though it was tampered with. She knew enough about listening devices to know that there were certain surveillance transmitters that used the electricity from a house. Wiring these transmitters into the house power system, the device could transmit at least a full city block away.

Nyssa instantly saw the transmitter as soon as she removed the socket plate. She carefully disconnected it from the wires and pulled it out of the wall.

“Mom, are there any houses on this street that are vacant?” Nyssa stood up and examined the device.

“Across the street, three doors to the left.” Marilyn pointed.

“Wait here. I'll be right back.”

Nyssa rushed out of the house and ran down the street until she came to the house that Marilyn talked about. She rushed up the stairs and kicked the door in.

When she entered the house, she was immediately met with a pungent odor of smoke and burning plastic. Nyssa saw smoke trailing into the hallway on the second floor. She ran up the stairs and kicked another door down into a bedroom that was on fire.

There were recording equipment, cameras, even a couple of laptops that were already burning. Nyssa threw a floor rug over some of the equipment in an attempt to save what she could, but it was quickly becoming useless.

The fire began to spread to the walls. The smoke and heat from the fire was becoming too much for Nyssa, so she backed out of the room and ran down the stairs as fast as she could.

She heard a door slam toward the back of the house, so she followed. Two men ran from the house through the back gardens toward another street. A third man had a car waiting for his friends to make their escape.

Nyssa followed them as far as the back door and made a note of the car. It was a silver Ford Taurus. The men wore plain clothes, one was heavy set, and all three had dark hair.

After they drove away, Nyssa heard the sirens of fire engines and made her escape the same way that they did, through the gardens and doubled back to her mother's street.

Nyssa walked into her mother’s house smelling like she had been fighting a fire. She met Marilyn at the door with a concerned look on her face.

“You smell of burnt plastic, Nyssa. What happened?” Marilyn asked.

“Oh, there's a fire down the street. The smoke must have drifted,” Nyssa said in a raspy voice.

She continued coughing and trying to catch her breath as she walked through the house toward the kitchen. She washed and dried her hands then turned to face her mother.

“Mom, we need to talk about the men who came to the house. It’s important.”

“Well, I don’t know, dear. This problem with my friend has me very upset. I can’t think about anything else.”

Nyssa rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Okay, then let’s talk about your friend.” The frustration was clear in her voice. Marilyn smiled and chose to ignore it.

“Her name is Karen, and her son's been living with her ever since she was diagnosed with cancer. Just four months ago, she completed her last set of treatments, and the cancer has gone into remission. But, there are all of these medical bills that took all of her savings. That's why her son is there, to help with the finances.”

“Can we get to the ‘in trouble' part?”

“He borrowed money from a loan shark, and now they want it back.”

“What do you want me to do about it? He needs to call the police.”

“Oh, the police can’t help with something like that. Each time they see him, they beat on him. They need your help, Nyssa.”

Nyssa watched as her mother did that pouting face that would guilt Nyssa into doing whatever she asked.

_All this training I've had in the army. Combat skills and weapons grade with anything that can shoot or hold an edge, and I still can’t fight against my mother’s sad eyes routine._

“Okay, Mom, I'll talk to your friend. Let me take a quick shower first, then I'll go over there.” Marilyn smiled after Nyssa agreed. “After I help your friend, we need to talk about those men who came to the house.”

“Of course, dear. I'll wash your clothes too. They smell of smoke.” Marilyn wrinkled her nose as Nyssa walked past her toward the bathroom.

For the first five minutes after Nyssa entered the shower, she did nothing but let the hot water take some of the stress of the day away. She thought back to the moment she woke up that morning. She had woke up alone. Lucas left without a single word or note, not even a phone call or text.

Their night together was wonderful. He was right. They needed this, but she allowed it to get too personal. She expected him to be there and had forgotten what all that was really about. She was a fool to think it could have been more than that, yet she let herself be vulnerable and look at what happened.

Nyssa could feel the tears forming despite the water splashing in her face. She took a few breaths and allowed herself to cry. After the tension left her, she focused on the situation at hand. Lucas would have to wait. She needed to find out what those men were after, and she needed to get that memo that authorized her blacklist.

Nyssa continued to unwind and resumed her shower until she was finished and turned off the water. She dried off and wrapped up in a robe her mother left for her on the counter.

Before she exited the bathroom, she heard distant voices in the house. Who was her mother talking to this time?

Nyssa carefully exited the bathroom into the bedroom. Her mother had taken her clothes to be washed but left her jacket on the bed. She took her gun from the jacket pocket and quietly walked toward the door to the living room.

Like a flash, she pulled the door open and aimed the gun right at Lucas. Marilyn instantly scolded her daughter as Lucas held up his hands in a surrender. Nyssa slowly lowered the gun.

“Nyssa, what do you think you are doing with that gun?” Marilyn was almost hysterical.

“Calm down, Mom. I didn’t know who you were with,” she said.

“Well, who did you think it was? My God, you scared the life out of me.” She turned to Lucas. “I am very sorry for my daughter’s behavior. I hope she didn’t frighten you.”

“Not at all. I'm quite used to these encounters with her.” Lucas lowered his hands but did not take his eyes off of Nyssa.

“Mom, I need to speak with Lucas in private. Would you like a cup of tea, Lucas?” asked Nyssa. Her voice was calm and lacking in emotion.

“I could use a cup, Marilyn. Thank you.” Lucas sensed the cold tension coming from Nyssa.

After Marilyn left for the kitchen, Lucas moved closer to Nyssa and spoke low so only she could hear.

“I've been looking for you all morning.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“I had Malcolm do a facial recognition search on the CCTV cameras. What were you doing at the Savoy this morning?”

Nyssa contemplated lying to him, but she knew that Dolby already told Harry about the incident this morning. She decided to tell him about the men at the house but to keep her hotel motives to herself.

“I went over there to see a friend.”

“Don’t play me.” Lucas stepped closer to her and grabbed her arm. His face was inches from hers.

“Dolby told you and the team I was there, didn’t he? That little prick.”

“He ordered Harry to arrest you. He wants you extradited back to America. If you set foot in the States, your FBI will have in prison. I'm suppose to bring you back to Thames House to talk to Harry.”

“You and Harry would like for me to just sit on the sidelines while these people continue to harass me and my family. I need to know who I'm up against. I need to go on the offensive and not wait for them to get to me.”

“Tell me what you know. Let me help.”

Nyssa put her finger up to her lips for Lucas to stay quiet. She turned to the bedroom door and opened it. Lucas followed her as far as the doorway while she laid her gun on the bed. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the transmitter. She gestured for Lucas to follow her to the back garden.

“I found this in the electrical outlet in the dining room. It’s a surveillance transmitter. Now, my mother told me that two men visited her this week and said that they work for the government. Is this thing one of yours?”

Lucas took the transmitter from her hand and examined it. He had seen things like this before but not for some time. He knew that Harry lifted the surveillance on Nyssa after she dropped that file she made about him on the conference table.

“No. We didn’t do this. Did your mother say anything about them? Did she give a description? Who do they work for?”

“She can’t remember,” said Nyssa sarcastically. “I know what that means. My mother's memory comes and goes with whatever she wants from me. One day, she can name everybody in the Prime Minister’s cabinet. The next day, she thinks that I work for the post office.”

Lucas looked at her confused. Nyssa smiled and sighed. She was used to explaining about her mother’s little quirks.

“She wants me to talk to her friend across the street. Apparently, her son borrowed a large sum of money from a loan shark, and now he’s being harassed.”

“So, to get her to tell you about those men, you have to take this job?”

Nyssa nodded her head.

“There’s something else. Apparently, they had a surveillance station set up in a house down the street. They torched the place before I could find any clues about them,” Nyssa said.

Lucas’ expression went from supportive to anger in a matter of seconds. She risked her life confronting them without telling him first. Again, she did not trust him enough to help.

“That’s the house that’s on fire?” He pointed down the street. “You could have been killed. Why didn’t you ring for help first?”

“Because the moment I found that transmitter, they were already destroying evidence and out the door. They ran out the back when I got there. Two men with a third behind the wheel of their getaway car.”

Lucas took a deep breath and sighed. He was presented with a big decision. Nyssa was finally trusting him to help her with this case, but Harry ordered him to keep her as far away as possible. He knew there was no way to do that. She was headstrong and extremely stubborn. Ros was right. If she continued like this on her own, she would wind up dead.

In order to protect her and keep her close, he would have to get her to trust him, and that meant playing both angles. He would keep what Harry briefed him a secret from her, but he would also keep what he learned about these men from Harry. At least, until he and Nyssa uncovered more about them.

“Let’s have a talk with your mother’s friend about her problem, and then we will go to Harry. We won't tell Harry about this until we know more. If you will trust me, I want to help you with this job.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder as a sign of comfort. He could see her softening a little to his touch.

“We will work things out with Harry and protect your family. It'll be fine.”

Nyssa looked into his eyes and smiled as she nodded her head in agreement. They would work together to find out more about these men, but as far as she was concerned, they had a long way to go for anything else.

 


	5. A New Assignment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any incorrect statements I may have made about the medical system in the UK. I confess I didn’t do too much research because I wanted to have some honorable reason for Danny to need money so desperately. The medical bills fit in nicely for that.
> 
> Reviews are most helpful and very welcome. Thank you!

While they waited for Nyssa’s clothes to finish drying, Lucas had his cup of tea with Marilyn while Nyssa sipped her coffee. Lucas had a pleasant conversation with Marilyn telling funny stories about Nyssa’s childhood. When Marilyn began telling Lucas about Nyssa’s father, Nyssa excused herself from the table to finish getting dressed. Lucas picked up on the tension when her father was mentioned and asked Marilyn about it after Nyssa left the room.

“She once thought the world of her father. He was a good husband and father many years ago, but he changed and Nyssa never accepted that. I think that was why she reacted so strongly against authority when she was young,” said Marilyn with a melancholy tone.

“What was she like then?” Lucas asked. He wanted to know more about her, not for MI-5 but for him personally.

“She was a lot like him in many ways. She still is. She loves her family and friends, and she did whatever she felt was necessary to take care of us. Even if it meant stealing a car to take her brother to the doctor or transporting illegal items across American states to earn enough money to buy food. There was never anything that she wanted to do that she couldn’t find a way.”

Lucas smiled and raised his cup to his lips. He sipped the tea and glanced back at the closed bedroom door. Her stories about Nyssa answered many questions that he had about Nyssa’s character. He was right about her. She cared about helping her friends, family, and even a simple stranger in the streets. Her compassion is great, but it could also cost her. He learned that lesson years ago.

“It must have been very hard for her when he left,” Lucas stated more like a question.

“Yes. She became very rebellious after he left. I believe it was in that moment that she lost faith in most people. It's very hard to earn her trust, but you seemed to have done it.” She turned toward Lucas and smiled. “She has trust in you. I can see that in her eyes when she looks at you. She's different. Almost happy.”

Marilyn placed her hand on Lucas' arm and smiled. She reached for his empty cup along with her own and rose from her chair. She left to put the cups in the kitchen sink as the bedroom door opened.

Lucas did not know what to say after what Marilyn told him. She must have seen something that he missed. It was definitely not what he expected to hear. He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of a door opening.

Nyssa emerged fully dressed in her clothes with her hair almost dry. She walked to the nearest chair to slip her shoes on. Lucas thought back to the image of her in just a robe. He remembered how sensual she looked the night before as he stripped her of those jeans and that t-shirt. The memories of last night replayed in his mind until her voice brought him back to the present.

“I have to make a phone call before we go over there. I want my sister to stay with Mom for a while until we get more information about those men,” she said.

Lucas smirked at the mention of Nyssa’s sister which caught her attention. She stopped what she was doing and looked at him with curiously.

“What was that for?”

“Nothing. I saw your sister today at your flat. Very charming. I see a strong resemblance in you two.”

He smiled at his own joke and watched as her face went from surprise to amusement. She giggled slightly and nodded in agreement. He had Lucy down cold, and Nyssa knew her sister too well to disagree. She was also aware how both their personalities were very strong and defiant.

“Well, she must like you. She let you walk away with all your limbs intact,” Nyssa said as she slipped on the second shoe and stood up from the chair.

“Mom, we're going over to talk to your friend Karen. I'll call you later,” she said then led to way to the front door.

Nyssa stepped outside and called Lucy while standing in the front of the house. After she made the arrangements with her sister about staying with Marilyn, she and Lucas left the house and made the short walk toward Marilyn’s friend Karen. Lucas noticed how Nyssa quickly distanced herself from him. Her behavior was cold at best and he wondered what happened since last night that made her act that way.

Before they started up the front steps, Lucas grabbed Nyssa’s arm and pulled her back to face him. Her face showed a lack of emotion, but her eyes were red and a little swollen, like she had been crying.

“What's wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing. Why?” she answered.

“You're distant, like there’s something bothering you.”

“I've got a lot on my mind obviously. Let's just do this job and get it over with.”

Nyssa pushed past Lucas and walked up the steps to knock on the door. Lucas followed, deciding not to press the issue until later.

A woman in her sixties with blond thinning hair answered the door. She was a beautiful lady, but a little thin. She smiled as Nyssa introduced herself and Lucas and said that Marilyn sent them. The woman introduced herself as Karen and invited them in.

The house was decorated in spring colors with lots of rose patterns. There were at least three large cats roaming the house. An orange cat greeted them at the door. A long-haired gray cat was lying on the couch while a tabby and the orange cats brushed against their legs.

Nyssa and Lucas took a seat on the couch, with Nyssa having to move the gray cat to sit down. She put physical distance between herself and Lucas which did not go unnoticed by Lucas. He made a mental note to argue with her later in private.

“Marilyn said that you could help me. You look so much like your mother, so very beautiful,” said Karen with a smile.

“Thank you,” Nyssa said in return.

Karen offered to make tea which both Nyssa and Lucas declined. Karen finished making a cup for herself before entering the living room and taking a seat on the plush chair across from them.

Karen looked a bit frail and tired, yet she made every effort to be cordial to her guests. She had thinning blond hair and pale skin. Her body looked as though she lost a considerable amount of weight in a short period of time. The last treatments against the cancer really took their toll on her.

“I don’t really know what you can do to help us. If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly do you do?” Karen asked. There was a hint of a Scottish accent in her speech.

“We work as security consultants,” answered Lucas. “Marilyn thought that we could help. What exactly is your problem?”

“Well, it’s really my son, Danny. Ever since I got sick he has been taking care of me. The doctor said last month that the treatments worked, and that the cancer was leaving me.”

“That's great!” Nyssa smiled.

“Yes, that part is great. Only, the medical bills took so much from me. Even with the assistance, its taken all of our savings. My boy, bless his heart, took money from some people, and now they want it back. But, he doesn’t have it. He was only looking out for me, but he's a lot like his father. He's not very bright, but he has a good heart.”

Lucas watched as Karen told her story. His eyes went from her to Nyssa, and it was then that he understood why Nyssa took on these little jobs. He could see that Nyssa’s heart went out to this woman, and in a way, he could feel it too.

While Karen was still telling her story, a young man with dark hair and very thin walked into the house. He had a black eye, a split lip, and a similar bruise along his jawline. It reminded him of Nyssa’s own injury and how she got it.

The young man looked at Nyssa and Lucas and was immediately suspicious. He turned to his mother with a look of anxiety on his face.

“Mum, who are these people?” the man asked.

“Danny, this is Nyssa, Marilyn's daughter, and her friend, Lucas. They've come to help us,” said Karen.

“No, Mum. That’s my problem. I can do it myself.”

“Except, it’s not just your problem,” said Nyssa. “Look Danny, these loan sharks will do whatever they can to get back their money. You're gonna need some help on this one. We can talk to them, maybe set up a payment plan or something. How much money is left?”

“None. I don’t have any of it. I invested it in a high-risk, high-reward thing. The money had to be cash,” Danny said in a timid voice. It was obvious that he was too embarrassed to explain with his mother present.

“Do you want to explain this in more detail?” asked Lucas.

Danny nodded his head and asked his mother for some privacy. As soon as Karen left the room, Danny told the story about meeting a club manager, Zach, who was gathering some business investors for a club that he wanted to open in Havana, Cuba. Zach was offering a thousand percent return on the investment.

Danny tested the waters with what he had in his savings and saw that the money grew substantially. Zach told him that there was a window to invest in the new club, but the minimum had to be £200,000 in cash. Danny did not have that much he could get at one time, so he turned to a Russian loan shark named, Mikhailov.

Danny said that the exchange happened at Zach's estate. While they were finalizing the deal, the police stormed the house, put Zach under arrest and confiscated the money. Danny was ushered out the back door, never to see Zach or the officers again.

“Now, Mikhailov wants his £200,000 and I don’t have it.”

While Danny told his story, Lucas and Nyssa looked at each other, already knowing that poor Danny was the victim of a con scheme. This job was turning out to be bigger than they thought.

“Danny, it sounds like you were conned. It's a classic scheme. I've seen it before,” said Nyssa.

“Well, do you think that if we go to Zach and tell him we know, than he'll give back the money?” asked Danny hoping the solution was a simple one.

“No, he won’t do that, but there are other ways we can get back the money. Leave this problem with us. We know what to do,” said Nyssa as she stood to leave. She shook Danny's hand and patted his shoulder to reassure him. “Tell your mother thank you for us, but we have another appointment to get to.”

She was nearly out the door before Lucas stood up to go. He said his quick goodbyes and rush out to catch her.

Lucas finally had enough of the attitude. He grabbed Nyssa by the arm and turned her to face him.

“What was that?” he demanded.

“What are you talking about?”

“Why are you avoiding me? Acting cold toward me, and ignoring me when it’s convenient?”

“I just want to get this job done. We have other things to worry about right now.”

Nyssa slipped out of Lucas' hand and headed for the car. Lucas took a breath and followed her. She was becoming distant again, and this time he was determined not to let her get away with it.

 


	6. Revelations

Lucas and Nyssa sat in silence half way to Thames House until Lucas pulled into a cafe and parked the car. Nyssa looked at him in confusion when he killed the engine then turned to face her.

“Get out of the car, we're going in for some coffee, and you are going to bloody tell me what's wrong,” he demanded.

“I had my coffee. Have you forgotten how I detest being told what to do?” She fired back.

But, Lucas was having none of it. He was prepared to pull her out of the car by the hair if necessary. He opened his door and exited the vehicle, then walked to the other side and opened her door.

“Get out, or I will drag you into the café.” His voice told her that be meant it.

Nyssa sat immobile for a few seconds deciding whether to obey his direction or punch him in the stomach. Eventually, she unhooked her seat belt and climbed out of the car. She pushed past him and headed into the café while he slammed the door in anger and followed her in.

“You’re buying. I take mine with cream and sugar,” Nyssa said once they entered the café.  She left him at the counter and moved toward a table by the window.

Lucas placed the orders and waited for the coffees. He glanced over at Nyssa every few seconds to make sure she was still there while he waited in line. She sat facing him but stared out the window, never looking in his direction.

When the coffees arrived, he paid the tab, and brought the drinks to the table. He sat in the chair opposite her and waited for a response. She sipped her coffee but refused to look or even speak to him.

“Nyssa, look at me,” Lucas said in a softer tone.

Nyssa took a breath then tore her eyes from the window and glanced up. A hint of tears began forming in her eyes. She blinked a few times to keep Lucas from noticing, but he was too observant not to see.

“Why are you acting like this? What happened to us that made you feel this way?”

Nyssa took a deep breath and averted her eyes before she spoke. It was time that she explained herself to him.

“When I woke up this morning, you were gone. You didn’t leave a note, a phone call, text, nothing. It was then that I remembered what last night was all about. I let it get too personal, and I am angrier at myself than at you. I apologize for lashing out. It was really my fault, not yours,” she said without looking at him.

Suddenly, it all made sense to him. Everything that she told him combined with what he learned about her from Marilyn brought it all to the surface. Their night together was nothing more than two people blowing off a little steam. Only, to Lucas, it was more than that. Nyssa’s relationship with her father had damaged her. It would take a lot for him to convince her of his intentions.

“Nyssa, I was called onto the grid. I didn’t want to wake you. I should have said something before I left. I am sorry for that, but I never meant to hurt you. I don’t regret what happened between us.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter now. You and I can’t have anything more than that. It was just the two of us releasing the tension we created. That’s all.”

She sipped her coffee while Lucas watched her. He knew that she did not believe that for a second. She was lying when it came to her feelings. She was denying it in the hope that she would spare herself any pain that she was certain would come.

“You said it yourself last night. You said that you thought we needed something to hold on to. I forgot and…….well…...,” she stopped in mid-sentence. “It was a mistake to think anything more than what it was.”

“Nyssa, I am not your father,” Lucas said it bluntly.

He watched her expression change to a defensive attitude. Her mouth opened then closed with her jaw locked. She looked like she wanted to slug him. He knew he had hit a nerve.

“What does my father have to do with any of this? You think that just because you listened to a few stories that my mother told you, you know all about me? You know nothing about me.” Her tone told him that their conversation had just ended. “Thanks for the coffee, but it's time we head back to Thames House. Harry is probably chomping at the bit to yell at me about this morning.”

She rose from her chair and started walking toward the door when Lucas grabbed her arm as she passed him. He stood quickly and gently pulled her close before she could jerk away from him. He spoke in a whisper so only she could hear.

“I am not your enemy, Nyssa. Please let me help.”

She looked into his blue eyes and all of her emotions threatened to come to the surface. She wanted to cry on his shoulder, have him hold her until the pain stopped. But, she spent so much of her life controlling the pain; she could not bring herself to be vulnerable in front of him. Not right now anyway.

Nyssa gently pulled her arm from his grasp. She looked back at him again with her mask in place.

“We have to go. Please, let’s just go,” she said.

Lucas watched her leave the café and followed her out. Her reaction about her father already told him so much. Now, he understood why she had so many trust issues. Why it was so hard for her to just let him or anyone else help her. She had done everything on her own for so long, she could not rely on other people. It was like what Marilyn had said. There was nothing that she wanted to do that she couldn’t find a way.

Again, they sat in silence in the car on the remaining journey to Thames House. The tension lifted, but it left a melancholy cloud that hovered over them until he pulled into the parking lot.

Once he parked the car, Nyssa got out quickly and walked toward the security office. Lucas watched her walk away allowing her a little space before he followed. He still had a long way to go to earn her trust, but at least he saw some hope when he looked in her eyes back in the cafe.

They exited the pods and walked onto the grid. Everyone turned their heads and watched Nyssa and Lucas walk into Harry's office. The stares did not go unnoticed by Nyssa.

_It seems everybody knows!_

Harry was reading a file with a smaller file resting on his desk when Lucas and Nyssa walked in. Ros was seated in one of the chairs facing Harry.

“So, we meet again, Nyssa. Still the same pain in the ass as before?” Ros asked with a smile.

“I don’t know, Ros. I guess so. Just like you still retain your bitchy charm,” Nyssa said with her own smile.

This time, Harry was not amused.

“Nyssa, have a seat, please. Lucas, would you mind waiting outside? I'll debrief you in a moment,” Harry ordered.

It came as a surprise to Lucas to be left out of the conversation, but it did not matter. He knew what was to be said, and he had other business to attend to anyway.

He left the office and closed the door behind him. As soon as Lucas was clear, Nyssa took the seat next to Ros. There was a brief moment of awkward silence before Harry closed the thick file that he was reading and tossed it back on his desk. It landed on the corner closest to Nyssa.

“You wanted to read the blacklist file. There it is,” said Harry. “Before you open it, there are some things we need to discuss.”

“Of course,” Nyssa said sarcastically.

“Before you read one word in that file, you will sign this.” Harry tossed the other file on top of the first one. “It’s the Official Secrets Act.”

Nyssa took the top file and opened it. She read over the papers quickly as Harry took his fountain pen and laid it on his desk in front of her. She glanced up at him before he continued.

“Your sister will get immunity as an asset in our service. This will only be valid so long as she works with you as a member of your team. She will also sign the Official Secrets Act as well your other friend, Jack. I'm assuming he will be working with you as well. This, however, can be revoked on my authority the moment you or your sister step out of line.”

Nyssa smirked. She knew there was a catch somewhere.

“Lucas will be your handler with one addition. Ros will supervise and coordinate everything.”

“Is she supposed to keep me in line? Is that it?” asked Nyssa.

“Just making sure the children don’t overwhelm the babysitter,” said Ros.

Nyssa's eyes narrowed as she looked at Ros. Her mind fantasized how she would like to wipe that smirk off of Ros' face, but that would have to wait. She and Ros would have to hash out their differences another day.

“And, what about my family and friends? Protection for my mother? That sort of thing?”

“Work for us. They will be safe.”

Nyssa glanced down at the document in her hand. This was her one chance to get her hands on actual proof of her blacklist, but to get it; she would have to work as an asset. Was it worth being one step closer to solving her case and getting removed from the blacklist?

“This is your last chance,” said Ros. “I promise you that it will not come around again.”

Another minute passed before Nyssa took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Without saying a word, she opened her eyes and took the pen from Harry's desk and signed the document. Nyssa closed the file and dropped both the document and pen back on Harry's desk.

Harry took the file and called for Connie to come into the office. When Connie arrived, Harry stood up from his chair, picked up the other file, and handed it to Nyssa.

“Connie will show you to the conference room. You will have all the time you need to study the file, but that will be all. That file is not to leave the building, and you will have this one chance to see it.”

“Thank you, Harry,” Nyssa said as she stood from her chair. She followed Connie out of the office and down the corridor to the conference room with the file in her hands.

Ros closed the door to the office and turned toward Harry.

“At least this will protect her from Dolby,” said Harry as he picked up the file with the signed document. “Now, where are we on the Al Qaeda connection?”

“Malcolm is still trying to piece together what information he managed to get from the memory stick. Whoever these people are, they are very good. They managed to corrupt a huge amount of data. It’s a miracle that Malcolm salvaged anything from that drive,” said Ros. She turned toward the window and watched Lucas talking with Malcolm for a few seconds before turning back to Harry.

“Do you think it’s a good idea pairing Nyssa with Lucas at this point given their relationship?” she asked.

“I think she’s beginning to trust him because of their relationship, and we need her cooperation to get to the bottom of this. I don’t believe that she is the type to stand by and let us handle this, and I don’t think she will share with us any intel she gets on her own. But, she might share it with him.”

“I hope she’s not manipulating him. I don’t trust her. How do we know she's not everything that the dossier says about her?”

“Because, I trust Lucas. The operation he led against Kechimov proved that. He can tell us everything that she finds including anyone who comes in contact with her.”

“And, Lucas? Will they try and contact him? After all, his name was on that list too.”

“Let’s hope we get to them before they get to any of us.”

 


	7. Back to Square One

Lucas watched Nyssa exit Harry's office with Connie in the lead. Connie was taking Nyssa to the conference room. She had a brown file folder in her hands. He assumed that it was the blacklist file that Nyssa had wanted for months. That also meant that Nyssa must have signed the Official Secrets document.

He sighed and relaxed a little knowing that she finally accepted Harry's offer. Now, the service could protect her as an asset. He turned his attention back to Malcolm.

“Malcolm, I have something for you,” he said as he pulled out the transmitter that Nyssa gave him. “Have a look at this. I need to know where it came from.”

Malcolm took the transmitter from Lucas' hand and studied it. Malcolm's knowledge of all things electronic or explosive would rival Google. He turned it over a few times in his palm before he spoke.

“It's a long-range transmitter used for surveillance. A listening device, really. It works by wiring it to a power source, usually an electrical socket. It's an older model by at least a few years,” said Malcolm.

“Do you know where it came from?”

“I believe it’s Russian in origin. Where did you get this?”

Malcolm looked up at Lucas with concern. Lucas mirrored the same expression but decided not to uncover any details until he talked with Harry.

“Find out all you can about this thing and get back to me,” said Lucas ignoring Malcolm's question.

Ros exited Harry’s office and walked toward Malcolm and Lucas. She called for Lucas to come into the office then turned and walked back.

Lucas turned and followed Ros into the office. Harry was still seated at his desk while Ros stood at the doorway. When Lucas entered, he took a seat facing Harry while Ros closed the door and sat in the other seat.

“Nyssa has finally agreed to work with us. After she reads over her blacklist file, I'll instruct her to assemble her team later today to finish the paperwork and bring them into the fold. I need you to work as her handler.”

Lucas nodded his head in agreement. It was no surprise since that was the plan in the beginning. It also made protecting Nyssa a little easier.

“How is your relationship with Nyssa progressing?” asked Harry.

Lucas glanced from Harry to Ros. Both of them were waiting for his answer. He knew what the question was implying, and he decided to take a more direct approach. To skirt the issue even further would cause more problems for the team.

“I know what you’re really asking, Harry. Did I sleep with her? The answer is, yes. We did,” Lucas said forcefully.

Harry closed his eyes and took a breath. He suspected that there was something going on between them. He was hoping for his officer's sake, that it did not escalate to that. He knew all too well the pain involved with that kind of relationships.

Officially, this also created new problems for him. One of his officers crossed the line and behaved in a most unprofessional way. If he followed the manual, he would have to report it and bring disciplinary action against Lucas on an ethics violation.

However, there was a silver lining to this as well. Harry would have someone in Nyssa's little inner circle that could control her and at the same time, tell Harry everything that she did.

“How well do you trust her?” asked Ros. Her tone was more of a concerned friend.

“I don’t believe half of the things that she says involving her case. I think she will continue to go around us if she can find a way.” Lucas turned to Harry. “But, she is opening up to me more than she did when we first met.  It is only a matter of time before she can fully trust me.”

“Then you need to really work at it,” said Ros with a hint of a smile on her face. “Encourage her to tell you what she finds if she continues to conduct her own investigation without us.”

Lucas turned to Ros and smiled in return. It was a small joke between them. Ros was becoming a good friend to him. He knew that her questions about Nyssa were more than just concern for a colleague. It was a concern for a friend. Ros did not trust Nyssa, and she did not want to see Lucas hurt in any way.

With all joking aside, he agreed with them and had every intention of informing Harry and Ros of Nyssa’s activities if it meant protecting her from danger, yet he would be selective of what he told them. She was still far from trusting him, and he would have to work hard to prove his intentions. Plus, something inside of him wanted her to trust him.

“Did she say what she was doing at the Savoy this morning?” asked Harry.

“She insists it was to visit an old friend. Nothing more,” said Lucas.

He knew Harry and Ros would not believe that for a second. Hell, he did not believe it when she told him.

“Perhaps, you can learn who this friend is, and why she was willing to risk getting arrested just for a chat,” said Harry.

“There is something else,” said Lucas. “When I found Nyssa at her mother’s house, she told me that she discovered a surveillance transmitter wired into the electrical socket of the dining room. I gave it to Malcolm to analyze. Malcolm said that it is Russian in origin. Harry, the FSB may be involved.”

Harry and Ros exchanged looks. This was interesting news, but Harry could not say that it was a surprise. With the failed terror attacks initiated by the Kremlin, it would not be unusual that this mysterious faction had something to do with Russia.

“Then, we need to find out what they know about Nyssa. Contact Elizabeta and see if she can get any information that the FSB has on her. And, be careful, Lucas. If the FSB is involved, your name is on that list too.”

“Right!” Lucas grinned.

Lucas stood and left Harry's office. Ros stood and followed him but stopped and turned to Harry before she walked away.

 **“** Do you believe he's telling us everything? I hope he's not picking up any of Nyssa’s bad habits,” she said.

“I expect Lucas to take matters into his own hands at times. He is like Nyssa in that way, but Lucas' loyalties are with us….with MI-5. I worry more about Nyssa. I don’t believe she is telling us everything and insists on keeping vital information to herself. If she doesn’t learn to trust us soon, she will be the next victim on Sam Walker's list. I don’t want to see her drag Lucas with her.”

Nyssa spent the next two hours reading the dossier from cover to cover. She learned a lot about herself that she did not even realize. Making undercover arms trade deals for her country turned so easily into black market weapons selling. No wonder the dossier was so convincing. It was like reading a very loose version of her entire career.

She was re-reading it when Lucas entered the conference room to check on her. She was calm but also a little frustrated. There was no name attached to the file. All those months of wanting to see this file, and she was no closer to finding out who wrote it.

“Are you alright? Do you need anything?” he asked.

“No wonder my own countrymen want to lock me up. I'd do the same if I were them. Have you read this?” she asked.

“Yes. When Harry first assigned me to follow you.” Lucas walked around the table and took the seat next to her.

“Do you believe it?” She looked up at him.

Her voice sounded small, like a child. He studied her face, the lines of worry across her forehead.

“No.” He shook his head as he answered. “I did at first,  but now, my….opinion has changed.”

“Why? How can you be so sure?” She wanted to believe him.

“Watching you help these civilians with their problems. I've never known a double agent who would put her life on the line for a teenage girl unless there was an end game. And, you are fiercely protective of your family.”

Lucas slowly leaned closer while keeping his eyes locked with hers. There was another reason, but he kept it to himself. He could not tell her about the shadow faction, no matter how much he wanted to. He had to keep her out of it, to keep her safe.

_And, I am fiercely protective of you._

“It isn’t every day that a person gets to read a fictional version of their life. I mean, did you know that I sold satellite positioning technology to the Chinese?” she laughed and threw her hands up in the air. “Who knew!”

Nyssa turned back to the file and rested her elbows on the table. She let her head drop into her hands for a moment before rising up again.

“The sad part is that I'm no closer to finding out who put all of this together,” she said. “With the amount of work involved they had to have been at this for quite a long time.”

At least Nyssa still had another chance to find the name through her contact from the hotel. She would have to keep that a secret, even from Lucas. She knew he would stop her before she had a chance to talk to Bakari. She could not let that happen when she was so close.

Nyssa closed the file and stood from her chair.

“Please thank Harry for me for letting me read the file. I have to get my team together this afternoon, and we have a new client to deal with. So, my day is pretty full.”

As she turned to leave, Lucas gently grabbed her wrist and stood up to face her. She turned her head toward him and looked in his eyes.

“We will find out who did this. I promise you. We will find them,” he said as he raised his other hand to touch her cheek.

For a brief moment they stood there staring at each other. Lucas started to lean in while Nyssa's lips parted. His gaze moved from her eyes to her lips. He was a breath away from kissing her when she pulled back and gasped. She distanced herself before she gently pulled her wrist out of his grasp.

“I have to get going. I'll call you later this afternoon about Danny,” she said as she turned and left him in the conference room.

Her shield was up again. He took a breath and sighed. He decided to let her go for now. It would not be good to fight with her over her feelings in the conference room at Thames House. Besides, he would catch up with her later. They had that side job to finish for her mother.

Lucas grabbed the file on the table and returned it to Harry's office. He had an appointment of his own to see Elizabeta about Nyssa.

The mere thought of the FSB being involved was making him angrier as every moment passed. Eight years in that Russian hell came flooding back.

If the Russians wanted Nyssa, they would have to get through him to do it, and he was not going to make it so easy this time.

 


	8. Making Plans

It was a cloudy day at the park, but that did not deter the London mothers and nannies from bringing their children on their daily outings. Lucas spotted Elizabeta several meters away watching her son playing on the swing set. Her back was to him.

He watched her for a brief moment before he approached her. He was thinking how she was compared to Nyssa. They were both similar in appearance. Both Nyssa and Elizabeta were nearly equal in height. Both had dark long hair, but their personalities could not be more different.

Nyssa was very strong-willed and hard to control. She could hold her own in a fight. She had trust issues and never took anything anyone said at face value. Elizabeta was very trusting, but she was also very compassionate which something she and Nyssa had in common.

It also made Elizabeta vulnerable to manipulators like Kechimov. He felt responsible for why Elizabeta was in this situation because Kechimov used him to turn her. She had a new husband and a family. There was no reason for her to jeopardize all that for him unless she still had some feelings left for him. It was her compassion that led her to the choices that she made, yet he still felt responsible.

Lucas vowed to make it right. He would look out for her and see to it that this arrangement he made with MI-5 would be as painless as possible.

Elizabeta turned her head and glanced in Lucas' direction. The two of them saw each other and stared before she made the effort to walk toward him. He slowly closed the distance glancing around for any curious onlookers taking too much of an interest in them.

When they came together, Lucas noticed the worried expression on her face. She looked tired, like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. He berated himself for doing that to her. Deep down, he still cared for her.

“My husband is supposed to meet me here in an hour,” she said.

“This will be quick. I need to know what information the FSB has on a CIA operative named Nyssa McBride,” said Lucas.

“Is she here in London?”

“Her name has appeared on an operation in Moscow a year ago, and we need to know what the FSB knows about her,” he lied.

“They will want to know why I’m asking about this person.”

“Tell them what I said. That MI-5 has concerns about her involving a current operation, and it may involve a previous Russian operative.”

“It will take a few days. That kind of information will be hard to find.”

“I need it by the end of the week. That will give you four days.” He placed his hand on her shoulder in a reassuring way. “It will be fine, Elizabeta. I promised to look after you, and I will.”

She nodded her head and gave a slight smile, but her eyes were still filled with sadness. This life was really getting to her. It reminded him of the reason he kept it a secret from her in the first place; even though, it cost him his marriage.

He watched her walk back to her son before he turned and headed back to his car. He had another assignment to focus on, finding out who was Nyssa’s mysterious friend at the Savoy.

Nyssa went back to her mother's house and saw that Lucy was already there. Nyssa gave a sigh of relief at least knowing that Lucy would be there to protect Marilyn if needed.

The moment Nyssa entered the house Marilyn began asking questions. Of course the majority of the questions involved Lucas.

“Lucas and I are not dating. We are colleagues. We’re working together. This problem with Danny across the street, Lucas is going to help with that, and that’s all,” said Nyssa.

The look on Marilyn’s face turned to concern. She was afraid if her daughter continued to put up these emotional barriers, she would wind up alone. Marilyn was about to say something when Nyssa interrupted essentially closing the discussion.

“Mom, I have to talk to Lucy for a minute, if you don’t mind….”

Nyssa nearly pushed Lucy out the back door before Marilyn could get another word in. The two women stood outside for a moment to make sure they were alone before they spoke.

“So, Mom was telling me that you took a client who lives across the street,” said Lucy. “What's this about ‘Lucas is going to help'? What? Are we including him in our little detective agency now?”

“I don’t know how much Mom told you, but two guys came to see her, and they bugged the house. They had a surveillance station set up down the street. When I found the bug this morning, they firebombed the place,” Nyssa explained.

“Jesus, Nyssa! This shit is getting too dangerous.”

“Which is why I need you to stay with Mom for a while. At least, until I find out more about those men who came to the house.”

“What’s the deal with Lucas then? What’s he got to do with it?”

“I told Lucas about the men, but Mom won’t say anything until we get her friend’s problem solved. Her son borrowed money from a Russian loan shark and lost it to a con artist. Lucas wants to help resolve this guy’s problem in order to find out more about these men.”

“I don’t trust Lucas. Why would he go through all of this for information? Why doesn’t he just take Mom off to Thames House and make her tell his boss?”

“I don’t know? Maybe he can see just how eccentric she is. Maybe he doesn’t want her to know what we do for a living.”

“Maybe he sees this as a way of getting something out of you. Obviously, sleeping with you last night didn’t help divulge any of your secrets,” Lucy said sarcastically.

Nyssa glared at her sister. She was not in the mood for games, and she knew that Lucy had a problem with Lucas. Nyssa chose to ignore her snide remark and get back to business.

“He promised me that he wouldn’t say anything about the men to his boss until we find out more about them.” Before Lucy could chime in, Nyssa held up her hands to stop her. “I know you don’t trust a word he says, but he wouldn’t go through all this if he didn’t mean it.”

“So, what do we do now?” Lucy said to change the subject.

“Lucas and I are going to scout out this club that the con man, Zach, runs. I need you to help me with another project. Find out what you can about a man named Bakari Essam. He's on the list to be at that spy conference at the Savoy. If I show up there again, the police and MI-5 will know it before I even get through the front door.”

“So, we're back to finding the one who ousted you in the CIA?”

“Yes! Harry let me read the blacklist file back at Thames House. He agreed to my demands, so to speak. He also agreed to protect you from prosecution provided that you sign the Official Secrets Act and work on my team. But, the catch is that we have to behave ourselves, or all bets are off.”

“And, does getting in touch with this Bakari Essam count as behaving ourselves?” Lucy asked with a smile.

“Not a bit.” Nyssa smiled in return. “I can’t stop now. Not when I’m this close. Bakari worked as a CIA asset for many years. He has contacts that can get me a copy of the blacklist memo. The file didn’t necessarily have a name, but the memo might.”

“Then what?”

“Then I will be one step closer to the man who blacklisted me.” Nyssa was confused by the question.

“And, what will that get you? I know you think that getting back in is the only thing in life worth living, but you have a chance to do some real good helping people like this poor dope across the street.”

Lucy was becoming irritated talking to Nyssa about the blacklist. She could not see why Nyssa was obsessed with getting her old job back after lying about her and leaving her in Nigeria to die. Lucy hated working for the government, and being forced to work for MI-5, her sworn enemies, was not any better.

Nyssa was also irritated that her sister could not see why she joined the agency in the first place. Yes, she was right about helping these individuals like Danny across the street, but the agency was the best way that she saw as serving her country. Besides, she felt she owed it to Sam Walker, because he saved her from a life in prison and possibly death.

“Lucy, can we talk about this later? We've got work to do,” Nyssa said quickly changing the subject.

Nyssa turned and entered the house leaving Lucy to fume over her sister's sudden dismissal. She decided to let it go for now, but as far as Lucy was concerned, the conversation was far from over.

Lucy followed her sister into the house only to walk in on Marilyn asking Nyssa about her friend Karen. Would she and Lucas be able to help her? Does this mean that she and Lucas are seeing more of each other? Lucy knew that her mother was an expert at steering the conversation to the real purpose of her inquiries. She would have made a great FBI interrogator. Lucy decided to make a swift exit into the bedroom to avoid another possible argument with her sister about Tall, Dark, and Secretive.

“Mom, I told you already. Lucas and I are not dating. We're just working on this one job together. That’s all,” said Nyssa rolling her eyes again.

“Why do push people away? You push your family away. You push Lucas away,” said Marilyn in frustration.

“I don’t want to get into this right now. I know you like him, and he seems very charming. I just….” Nyssa took a breath and shook her head. “I just can’t talk about this now. I'm spread a little thin at the moment.”

Marilyn took a breath and sighed. Her face softened, and she placed her hands on Nyssa’s shoulders.

“I want you to find happiness. I don’t want you to be alone. I want you to have a family of your own. I want that for all my children.”

“So, this is about grandchildren,” Nyssa smirked.

“Well, having children is a lot of fun, even this bunch. I can honestly say you and your siblings were never boring,” she laughed.

Nyssa smiled in return and hugged her mother. Marilyn always wanted her kids to have normal lives even though their family was anything but normal.

“Mom, Lucas and I…,” Nyssa stopped talking in mid-sentence and sighed. “Who knows what may happen? I just need some time.”

Marilyn nodded and promised to say no more about the subject for now.

“Now, when we take care of your friend's problem, we need you to tell us about the men who came to the house. Deal?”

“Is Lucas helping you with that too?”

“Ahhh… Yes…. He's helping me with that too.”

“Well, be careful, darling. You’re the only oldest daughter I've got.” Marilyn giggled and walked into the kitchen.

Nyssa pulled out her phone and dialed a number. She waited for an answer.

“Lucas? Would you like to be my date to a club tonight?” She asked.

From the kitchen, Marilyn smiled as she continued washing up the dishes.

 


	9. The Night Club Case

Nyssa, Jack, and Lucy sat outside of a pub having a drink after a long afternoon at Thames House. As requested, Nyssa gathered her team together for the signing of the Official Secrets Act. After finalizing all the paperwork, they were now official assets to Section D of MI-5.

As predicted, when Lucy entered the grid, her appearance was not as welcome as Jack's. Some might say it was civilized hostility, if there was such a thing.

The officers who worked on the IRA cases involving her were the most obvious. Their glares could be seen across the room. Someone even shouted something inappropriate which caused Nyssa to grab her sister by the arm and practically drag her into the conference room.

When it was time to leave, Harry ordered the grid cleared with the exception of a few while Lucy was escorted by security out of the building. Nyssa was the last to leave until Harry called her name as she was exiting the room with the others. She told Jack and Lucy to wait by the car and turned back to face Harry.

“I had Malcolm go through this dossier you created about me. It's very impressive. Even Malcolm is having trouble reversing the paper trail. I would like to know how you accomplished such a ingenious plan. Who is source?” asked Harry.

Nyssa merely smiled.

“Have a good day, Harry.” Nyssa turned and left the room leaving Harry with a slight grin on his face.

After their meeting with Harry, Nyssa suggested that they all have a beer and maybe some lunch to talk about the new client. Jack was halfway through his third beer when Nyssa told him that Lucas would be helping with the job.

“I thought you wanted MI-5 to stay out of our business,” said Jack.

“I do, but this is a special case,” Nyssa said as Lucy rolled her eyes.

Jack missed the gesture, but it was not lost on Nyssa. She glared at her sister for a brief moment than continued.

“The thing is if I'm going to get to the bottom of this blacklist, I need to work with them, especially Lucas. Besides, Mom thinks he's the one.”

“What?” he asked.

“Well, it’s no wonder since the two of you spend a lot of time together,” said Lucy. It was Nyssa's turn to roll her eyes.

“The point is that he is helping us with this case, so Mom can tell us more about the men who came to the house.”

“Do you even trust him? I know you said that he promised not to tell his boss until you get more info, but I don’t believe a word he says. Nyssa, he’s a spy. He lies for a living,” said Lucy.

“Yeah, well, I don’t have much of a choice in the matter if I'm going to get myself off the blacklist.”

Lucy slumped back into her chair with her beer while Nyssa changed the subject back to the client's problem.

“Lucas and I are going to the club tonight to survey the manager, Zach. Jack, I need you to find out what you can about the Russian loan shark, Mikhailov.”

Jack nodded his head while drinking his lager. At that moment, there was a buzzing sound from his mobile. He pulled the phone from his pocket and checked the number. He excused himself and left the table. When Jack was out of earshot, Nyssa moved closer to her sister to discuss another matter.

“While Lucas and I are at the club, you can check out the Savoy. Find out if Bakari is staying there. I need to know when and where would be a good time to get close to him without arousing any suspicion.”

“Good. The last thing I want is Loverboy looking over my shoulder while I'm trying to work.”

Nyssa ignored her comments and sat in silence until Jack returned from his phone call.

“That was Katrina. I’ve got to go. I did a real cock up and missed an appointment,” Jack said with embarrassment.

“Oh yeah, the Pilates class with Katrina,” said Nyssa with a smile. Lucy chuckled.

Jack gave them a scolding look and took a last gulp from his drink before leaving. Nyssa threw her money down on the table and stood up from her chair.

“I need to borrow a dress for tonight. Is it alright to raid the closet at Mom's house?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“No. Just think of it as helping out your sister.” Nyssa smiled.

“Which I do all the time.”

“Ok, I’ll pay for your new shoes,” Nyssa said in frustration.

“It’s a start,” Lucy said with a smile. “Wear the lavender one. You've been wearing too much black lately.”

Nyssa rolled her eyes and left. She crossed the street toward her Indian parked a few short steps away.

Nyssa arrived at her mother’s house to go through Lucy’s wardrobe. She found a nice club-style dress with matching shoes. Of course, her mother was more than happy to help with the hair and makeup. She also made a phone call to their client, Danny, to get more details about his meetings with Zach.

It was close to 21.00 by the time Lucas drove to Marilyn’s house. Lucas stood in the living room in a dark sports jacket with a blue knit shirt when Nyssa exited the bedroom in Lucy’s lavender dress with the matching high heel shoes.

The dress was a halter top, very fitted down to the waist with a short skirt that flared out down to the knees. The shoes were open toed high heels that accented the curves in her legs. Her hair was loosely pulled up by hair pins. Her entire outfit made Lucas' jaw drop. He took a breath to speak, but he found it difficult to utter a sound.

Nyssa gave him a look expecting him to say something but instead, smiled at his reaction. She smiled turned to her mother who was also smiling at the handsome couple.

“Mom, Lucas and I are going to work. We'll talk later.”

Marilyn nodded and smiled at the couple as they left the house. Nyssa walked casually to the car and waited for Lucas to open the door. Lucas reached around her for the handle but found it very hard to ignore the flower scent from her skin. He fought the urge to push her against the car and kiss her hard.

He wanted to resume their conversation they had at the café, but he quickly dismissed it. He knew that she would argue and change the subject, and he did not have the patience for that right now.

When they arrived at the club, Lucas pulled up to the front of the entrance and exited his car. The valet attendant opened Nyssa’s door, and Lucas offered his hand to help her out. After Nyssa exited the car, the valet attendant gave Lucas a ticket and drove away in the car.

Nyssa played the loose girlfriend very well. She clung to Lucas as they walked into the club with all eyes, both male and female, on the couple.

They spent the next few hours playing their parts as party patrons. Lucas bought the drinks and observed the various people around them while Nyssa hung on him like a trophy model for a rich playboy. For a while, Lucas forgot that they were undercover and enjoyed Nyssa’s attentions. She even kissed him a couple of times to really sell the role.

He watched her dancing with the other customers on the dance floor. She looked beautiful in that dress, especially the way the skirt floated up with every twirl that she made revealing a lot of leg and very little underwear. He wanted to her back to his flat and relive last night all over again. The timely entrance of the club manager pulled him out of his thoughts and back to the job at hand.

Zach Pollard entered the dance floor with a drink in his hand and two women on each arm. Nyssa and Lucas watched from the far side of the bar while Zach ushered a parade of women around the club. Occasionally, a bartender or barmaid would come to him with a problem, and he would take care of the disgruntled customer with a free drink, a few suave words, and a smile.

“Wow, there's a guy who knows how to have fun,” said Nyssa taking another drink from her cocktail. “You should take some lessons from him. Maybe even find a date out here in this sea of possibilities.”

“What do you mean?” Lucas asked.

“Well, take the blond at the other end of the bar, for example. She hasn’t stopped staring at you all evening. I'll bet the moment I walk away, she'll be gathering up the courage to ask you to take her home with you. If she's not what interests you, there are others that I've been watching who can’t seem to take their eyes off of you. As a trained spy, you’re not very observant.”

“Oh, I've seen them, and the number of men who seemed to take an interest in you. What’s with that dress? Are you hoping to be picked up?”

“Why? Does that bother you?”

Lucas did not answer that question. He took a drink from his whiskey glass and turned his eyes back to Zach. It did bother him as he imagined Nyssa with another man. Memories of last night flooded his brain again as he watched the other players in that club until his eyes fell on Zach. The way the man behaved with the women around him was making him ill.

“You should take my advice and get in some fun while you still can. I'll be spending the rest of my evening in that back room that Danny talked about. He said there is an office with a safe full of cash in there. It seems that Zach only lets women and marks in that room,” said Nyssa.

Lucas followed Nyssa’s gaze to an open entrance into another room.  The entrance was decorated in shiny strings of beads that glistened in the dancing lighting of the club. He could only see that the room had dark colors and low lighting.  There was no telling what went on beyond that entrance. Lucas could feel his blood boiling at the mere thought of Nyssa in that back room with that man. The idea of kidnapping Zach, taking him to a secluded place, and beating the money out of him suddenly did not seem so crazy.

“Are you seriously thinking of going in there without backup?” he asked.

“I'm not helpless, Lucas. I'm a trained operative, or have you forgotten that?”

“I don’t like the idea of you going in there alone,” Lucas said. He felt his anger building.

“Are you jealous or something? Look, if anything happens, I'll know how to take care of myself. I promise you, nothing will happen that I don’t want to happen,” Nyssa said as she took the hair pins out of her hair and let her locks fly covering her bare shoulders. She turned and seductively walked toward Zach.

“That’s what I'm afraid of,” whispered Lucas as he watched her walk away.

Zach was seated at a round booth with an entourage of women when Nyssa introduced herself and was invited to sit in. Lucas watched from a far distance until he turned to the blond Nyssa spoke about earlier. His eyes locked with hers, and she smiled as the bartender brought over another drink. The bartender told him that the drink was from the gorgeous blond at the end of the bar.

He glanced over at Nyssa who was too busy playing her role with Zach to notice what was happening. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to have some fun in his life.

Lucas took a chance and walked toward the blond. He sat down beside her at the bar, and they began talking. Nyssa watched from the booth as Lucas and the blond had a brief, enjoyable conversation together. Then, Lucas paid the bartender, and he and the blond left the club.

She felt like screaming and pulling that blond’s hair by her platinum roots, but she had to focus. She and Lucas were on a job, nothing more. On the outside she laughed like she was having the time of her life, but on the inside she felt like her heart was breaking.

That evening only sealed in her mind what she knew all along. There was no such thing as fairy tales with happy endings.

 


	10. Missed Chances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and the readership. I really enjoy writing this story. Reviews are very welcome and appreciated.

It was late in the evening as Connie James finished up the last few items on her desk before packing it in. She looked up to see Malcolm was still at his computer trying desperately to piece together the information from the flash drive that Lucas took from Marlin's pocket.

Ever since he saw Lucas' name on a list of names he had been obsessed with finding out all that he could. The last time he spent the entire night on the grid he was tracking low level frequencies from the ocean. Those frequencies revealed a Russian submarine in British waters.

Malcolm’s commitment to his work was commendable and proven lucky at times, but even he needed to sleep. She grabbed her purse from the bottom drawer of her desk and walked him.

“Malcolm, you can’t keep going on like this,” she said with a look of concern.

“I promise I won’t stay for much longer.” He tried to reassure her.

Connie turned back to her desk to retrieve her coat and scarf. He said that once before and ended up staying the entire night.

“Well, try to remember, Malcolm. You need some rest too,” she said as she headed for the pods.

As she walked past Harry's office, she noticed that her boss was also burning the midnight oil reading through a series of files. She stopped and watched for a brief moment and studied his expressions. He was concentrating so much on the page that his brow was furrowed, and his lips were moving to every word.

She walked toward the door and knocked. When Harry announced for her to enter, she opened the door and saw that he had quickly pushed the files into a drawer to his bottom right. Harry looked up and motioned for Connie to come in.

“I've come to see if you need anything. I saw Malcolm still plugging away at that flash drive, and you going over files. Do you need any help?” she asked.

“No, I'll be fine. I'll see to it that Malcolm rests tonight.” Harry smiled.

Connie stared at her boss for a brief period trying to decide whether or not to believe him. He was working on something that he did not want anyone to see. She smiled and nodded her head then left the office.

Harry watched as Connie entered the pods and left the grid. He was working on the files he had on compromised operations that Dolby planned and lead. He was sure that the files gave some kind of clue that Dolby was feeding information to the Russians, particularly about Sugar Horse.

Sugar Horse was so secretive an operation that only three officers knew of its existence. They compartmentalized the assets for their protection, to keep the network safe. It was an operation that lasted for decades, and it continued to be successful.

But, now, after all this time, the Russians had Sugar Horse. They knew of its existence, but they did not know all of it. Someone told them, but who was it? He had to find out whom in order to salvage the operation and keep it running, and that meant keeping his own team in the dark.

He was about to resume reading the files when he saw Malcolm stand from his chair and turn toward his office. Harry waited until he was sure that Malcolm was coming to see him and left the files in the drawer. He waited for the knock on the door then called for Malcolm to come inside.

“I've tried every program I know to restore the files on the flash drive, but I’m afraid the information is too corrupted to get any more than I have,” said Malcolm as he entered the office.

Harry sighed and nodded his head. He tried not to show it too much, but he was disappointed with the outcome. He was hoping to get ahead of this mystery. Instead, these people are still one step ahead of them, and he was no closer to finding out who they were.

“There is one more option, but it is dangerous with no guarantee that anything will come of it,” Malcolm said sparking Harry's attention.

“There is a chance that he may have copied the files from the Pakistani consulate. It would require someone to infiltrate the consulate and connect a wi-fi unit to a USB port,” Malcolm explained.

“You realize that it is unethical, not to mention illegal, if we were to copy computer files from a foreign embassy or consulate without probable cause.” Harry was not entirely dismissive of the idea if it were to give them a lead. “Do you know for certain that the files Marlin copied came from the consulate?”

“Based on what I did observe from the flash drive and the malware system that was used to trap it, I can say with 95 percent certainty that the files came from the consulate.”

“That is still not enough for me to send one of my officers on an operation that could jeopardize foreign relations.”

“And, that is why the operation is dangerous. Unfortunately, I have no other options.”

Harry knew that Malcolm wanted desperately to restore that flash drive ever since he saw Lucas' name on that list. He did not know the whole story, but he wanted to protect his friend as much as possible.

Malcolm saw Lucas the night he returned from Moscow. His physical appearance, his eyes, the anxiety around crowds, all showed Malcolm how that prison made life hell for Lucas. Malcolm was determined to not let that happen again.

Harry was equally protective, not just of Lucas but his whole team. If Malcolm was this certain that the files came from the Pakistani consulate, how where they going to get them out? Someone would have to go in and risk getting arrested, perhaps even prison. The person would have to be a deniable asset.

He did not want to admit it, but the first person that came to mind would be Nyssa. She was a deniable asset after all, but sending her in would be breaking a promise he made to Sam Walker. He promised to look out for her, and if she were to end up in Pakistani hands, the shadow faction could easily get their hands on her.

“Alright, Malcolm. Let me think about it. If no other options present themselves in the next couple of days, then we'll go with that. Now, go home and get some rest. You've done everything you could for the moment.”

Malcolm nodded his head and left the office. He was getting very tired, and he really could not do anything anyway. He, too, thought of Nyssa when he proposed this idea, but the idea sounded better in his head until he said it. Lucas would oppose it greatly. It was obvious to the rest of the team how much he cared for her. He would never allow it.

Malcolm grabbed his coat from his chair and left the grid. No matter how tired he was, he knew that his mind would not rest until another solution came to him.

Lucas stepped out of the club with the blond girl from the bar. She was hanging on his arm and pressing her chest against him. There was no mistaking her lack of underwear under that dress.

He could easily take her home with him if he wanted to. She was more than willing, but he had a problem. Each time he looked at her, he would see Nyssa.

He saw Nyssa’s face when he left the club with this woman. Any man could tell that it bothered her no matter how much she pretended not to notice.

He hailed a taxi rather than call for his car. When the taxi arrived, he opened the door for the blond. She stepped off the curb and turned to face him before climbing in. She locked her arms around his neck and gave him a long, sensuous kiss then climbed into the car. She moved over to give him room, but Lucas shut the door before she realized what happened. He threw some money at the driver and walked back toward the club. The driver drove away with a very angry blond screaming all sorts of profanities from the window.

When Lucas returned, Nyssa and Zach were nowhere to be found. For a brief moment he felt a little panicked. He walked back to the bartender and asked about the dark-haired girl he came in with.

“I thought you left with that blond, mate. That other girl already found herself a bloke. He took her to the back room,” said the bartender then went back to making more drinks.

Lucas felt his anger coming to the surface. It took all that of his willpower not to barge into the back room and break that man's nose, but he knew that Nyssa was capable of handling it herself. It did not make him feel any less protective of her.

While Lucas was stewing at the bar, Nyssa was in a dark room equipped with a large couch in a corner of the room. It was decorated with navy blue and burgundy pillows. Take away the pillows and blankets and one would imagine it was a small bed.

_Let me guess what that thing is for._

Zach brought in two more martinis from the bar and placed them on the table next to the couch. Nyssa took a quick look around the room hoping to locate the office with the money.

There was a small hallway to her right painted red with LED lights. At the end of it were two doors with metal name plates attached. The door at the end of the hallway said, Office.

_So, that’s where it is._

The door to the left had a picture plate of both male and female stick figures. It was a bathroom. Nyssa noticed that the view of the office and bathroom was obstructed when she stood near the couch. That was good. She could use that.

Zach worked on making the room more comfortable for them while Nyssa formed a plan to get into the office. She took her seat on the couch doing her best to play the sexy interested girlfriend.

Zach took both the martini glasses and offered one to Nyssa. He took a seat next to her and began nipping at her neck. Before he got too aggressive, she purposely tipped his drink all over her dress making it look like he did it.

“Bloody hell,” she yelled with an English accent.

Zach's face turned to horror as he constantly apologized. Nyssa jumped up from the couch with the drink all over her dress and droplets continuing down her legs.

“Where's the loo?” she demanded.

“Down the hall,” he answered with more apologies.

Nyssa threw her arms up in frustration as she stomped down the hallway pretending to be mad. When she was out of eyesight, she pulled out one of her hair pins for the door lock, but then she stopped. The lock on the door required a key card. It was something that Nyssa could not simply pick with a hair pin.

They would have to get into that office another way. On top of that, she had to find a way out of there. Nyssa would use her soiled dress and anger as an excuse to leave the club.

She went into the bathroom and washed some of the martini off of her. Then, she purposefully sprayed a little water on her dress and left the room.

When she entered the main room, she looked like a woman ready to kill. Zach saw the face and held up his hands in surrender.

“I’m so sorry, luv. I'll pay for the dress,” he said.

“I’m going home.” Nyssa's expression softened. “Look, I'll bring you the dry cleaning bill, and you can buy me dinner later.”

Nyssa took a pen and wrote a phone number down on a napkin. She turned and left without waiting for a reply.

Lucas kept watch over the door when he saw Nyssa emerge with a stain across the front of her dress. She pushed through the patrons and went out the front door of the club as if she was in a hurry. She did not see him having a drink at the far side of the bar.

Lucas was both relieved and angry after she left. The stain on the front of her dress produced all sorts of images that made his blood boil. This little job of theirs was turning out to be a lot more work than he thought. He just hoped that they could work together without killing each other first.

 


	11. Getting the Ball Rolling

Nyssa managed to make it to her apartment without too much trouble. She had a few looks with the taxi driver because of the stain on her dress. She would have to dry clean the dress in a hurry before Lucy found out what happened.

When Nyssa exited the taxi, she walked up the stairs to her door. She quickly looked around to make sure there were no mysterious onlookers before she went inside.

Once Nyssa went inside, a silver Lexus pulled to the side of the street and parked in the shadows. Lucas sat in his car and watched the apartment from below. He had every intention to go and knock on the door, but after that little argument they had at the club, he decided to wait.

Nyssa peeled herself out of the dress and went into the bathroom. She took off all of her undergarments and turned on the shower. She stood in the stall with the water splashing on her face and body for five minutes to de-stress. All she could think about was Lucas and that blond. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before cleaning herself up.

After her shower, Nyssa threw on an old sweater and some knit pants and grabbed a beer from her refrigerator. She turned on some music and stepped out onto the fire escape. She sat on one of the steps listening to Peter Gabriel’s _In Your Eyes_ and looked out into the night sky.

Nyssa was upset with herself as much as she was with Lucas. After all, why should she be angry when she even suggested that he hook up with that woman? She kept denying her own feelings until it finally hit her after seeing him leave the club with her. She had to finally admit to herself that she cared deeply for him, only he felt nothing like that for her. His only concern was to save her, nothing more.

She took a drink from her bottle and pulled out her mobile phone from her pocket. She wiped a tear from her cheek and dialed a number.

From inside the car, Lucas watched everything. He saw the look of total despair on her face and felt guilty for letting her believe that he left the bar with that blond. He was just about to exit his car when his mobile rang. It was Nyssa. He waited for a few seconds wondering if he should just go to her, but decided against it and answered the phone.

“Nyssa,” he answered.

 _“I'm sure you’re busy at the moment, so I'll make this quick. We have a problem with the club. Come to my apartment tomorrow morning if you can drag yourself out of bed by then,”_ said Nyssa with a touch of hostility in her voice.

“Nyssa, I'm not……,” Lucas said, but Nyssa hung up before he could tell her where he actually was. Her attitude about the whole thing was making him angry.

_Fine, if that’s how she wants to play it._

Lucas waited until she went back into the flat before he turned the key and drove away. He would let her believe what she wanted until tomorrow. He would get some rest until then.

Nyssa made arrangements with both Jack and Lucy to meet at her apartment the next morning to discuss the new problem in Danny's case. When they arrived at the apartment, Nyssa looked as though she had a very rough night. The last to arrive was Lucas who looked equally exhausted.

Nyssa mistook Lucas' appearance for late night activity and glared at him throughout the entire meeting. The tension between them was quite obvious to the rest of the group, but everyone chose to ignore it for now and focus on the purpose of the meeting.

“Zach is a very smooth player in a slick Jack Miller kind of way,” said Nyssa with a smile directed at Jack. She had been briefing everyone on last night’s activities.

“Smooth is smooth, luv,” said Jack returning the smile as he took a drink from the beer he took from Nyssa’s refrigerator.

“He's very careful, only letting marks and women in that back room. The office door is locked with an electronic key card reader. Zach keeps that card on him at all times.”

“I'm surprised you weren’t able to lift it. After all, spies are taught how to lift pockets,” said Lucas with a hint of irritation in his voice. Nyssa glared at him again.

“I can pick a pocket easy, smart ass. The problem is that I already made my play. If I try again too soon, he will get suspicious,” Nyssa answered with equal frustration.

“So, it's become a three-person job?” asked Lucy. “Somebody’s gotta play the fool.”

“I bet I know who that’s going to be,” said Jack.

Lucy pointed at Jack, who pointed back at her. The silly banter was lost on Nyssa who turned to Lucas and chose him instead.

“Looks like that fits you to a T, Lucas,” she said as she left the group to get some air.

Lucy watched her sister walk out the front door then turned back to Lucas. Without saying anything else, she turned and followed her sister out the door to talk to her leaving both men in the apartment alone.

“Well, that wasn’t awkward at all,” Jack commented. “So, mate, what’s got her all miffed? What did you do?”

Lucas smirked as he answered the question.

“I don’t know. I'd rather not talk about it right now.” Lucas was becoming angrier with each passing moment.

“Want some advice?” Jack turned to Lucas with a concerned look. “I've known Nyssa for over 10 years. She's my colleague and best mate, and she has trust issues because of her Dad. Nyssa likes to test her relationships with the emotional equivalency of artillery fire.”

Lucas smiled at that statement. It was true that Nyssa had done everything she could to push him away like she wanted what was between them to not be real. She worked very hard at guarding herself from getting hurt, but what she did not realize was that she was causing the hurt.

“If you really care about her, Lucas, than don’t give up on her. She's a lot to handle, but if you let her go now, you'll only confirm what she already believes.”

Lucas grinned slightly and nodded. He turned toward the door. Jack was right. Nyssa was a head-strong stubborn woman who needed someone to pound a little sense into her. He was hoping that her sister was doing just that, but that was a miracle in itself. He knew that Lucy did not like him, and she would be the last person to make a case in his favor. He would have to wait until he could talk to her alone. He was determined to get through to her even if he had to fight with her like the last time.

Nyssa stood at the top of the stairs just outside of the apartment when Lucy came to check on her. Nyssa knew it was useless to be constantly dwelling on what happened with Lucas last night, but she could not help feeling her blood pressure rise at the mere thought of that blond sleeping with him. She turned to Lucy who had a look of concern for her sister.

“Are you alright?” Lucy asked in confusion. “You’re acting a little crazy in there. Did something happen last night?”

“Nothing I can’t handle. I'm fine,” Nyssa said. Judging from her sister’s expression, she did not think Lucy really believed that. “Let's talk about you last night. Did you find out anything about Bakari Essam?”

Lucy checked to see if Lucas was anywhere near them before she answered the question.

“I found out that he's staying at the One Aldwych a few blocks from the Savoy, but he's not alone. There are lots of spies and delegates also booked there. Someone might see you if you try anything,” she whispered.

“As long as the convention is at the Savoy and not there, the chances that Dolby or anybody else would see me is not so bad. Stay on him and let me know the best time I can get close to him. Don’t tell Jack or Lucas about this.”

“I’m not thrilled that you want to get your old job back, but I am having a little fun going behind Pretty Boy’s back. We should do this more often.” Lucy smiled.

Nyssa rolled her eyes and smiled at her sister. She thought that Lucy was enjoying that a bit too much.

Harry spent the morning contemplating what he discussed with Malcolm the night before. He was up all night racking his brain, but no other solution came to him. It was the same with Malcolm. The plan was wrought with problems, but the one dilemma was whether or not it would be worth sending someone in for those files. They could have come from anywhere. Yet, something inside him urged him to roll the dice and try.

Malcolm said that the clues from the flash drive pointed to the consulate. Malcolm was aware of the risks and would not even suggest such an operation unless he was certain of the outcome. He trusted Malcolm’s judgment, but still the risks outweighed the rewards.

He looked up to see Ros exiting the pods. She had just returned from her usual briefing meetings with the Home Secretary’s office. He waited until she settled at her desk before calling her to his office.

“We may have a slight problem,” Harry said to Ros as she entered the office. Ros closed the door and took her seat facing him.

“Last night Malcolm said that salvaging any piece of Intel from the flash drive would be useless, but he did suggest another way of getting those files. The problem is that it is very dangerous, and if anything goes wrong, we need to severe the operation entirely. That means to cut off all ties with the operative that we send in,” Harry explained.

“A deniable asset,” said Ros.

Harry nodded his head.

“What is the target?” asked Ros.

“The Pakistan High Commission.”

“The consulate. Harry, if we send one of our officers to steal files from their computer, we run the risk of ruining foreign relations with Pakistan.”

Again, Harry nodded his head.

“Is Malcolm certain the files came from the office?” asked Ros.

“Yes, he is. Which is why I am seriously considering this operation. My other problem is the person I am thinking of sending is Nyssa. You and I both know how Lucas will take this.”

“We know the risks when we sign up for this job. Lucas of all people knew this,” said Ros.

“Then we will have to bring Nyssa in to brief her on the operation. Once she is in the consulate, Malcolm can talk her through on copying the files from the computer. We'll tell her that the files are important to help us close the case from last week. But, she must never know what this is really about.”

“Should we tell Lucas?”

At first, Harry was hesitant about even telling his officer of the mission for fear that he would object to it. Lucas became too emotionally involved with this woman, and his judgment was tainted. Harry knew what that was like, and he knew that it always brought nothing but misery.

It was a choice each of them made every day. They were taught that personal sacrifices had to be made in this business in order to save lives. Perhaps, this would be the perfect test for both Nyssa and Lucas. Would they be able to set their personal feelings aside to complete the operation?

“Call Lucas and tell him to bring Nyssa onto the grid. Let's get her ready for her first operation.”

 


	12. Her First Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This turned out to be the longest chapter, thus far. It was not intended to be this long, but my characters do get a little winded sometimes. I do limited research for these stories. I try to get them as close to correct as possible, but I’ve never been to these places. That’s why my descriptions are mostly vague, so if there are discrepancies, I apologize in advance. I hope my readers continue enjoying this story. Reviews and constructive critiques are welcome.

After her quick break to help calm her temper, Nyssa went back inside to resume their meeting about Danny's case. Nyssa's plan was simple, or at least sounded like it. She, Lucas and Lucy would go back to the club playing their roles as party girls hanging on the arm of a rich New Yorker who just came to town.  Lucas would serve himself up as a man who loves to play fast and loose with his money. Zach would not be able to resist such a mark.

Once inside, Lucy would keep Zach occupied while Nyssa and Lucas made their way toward the office to crack open the safe and steal the cash. Jack would keep watch at the back of the club and also act as their bag man.

For the next hour, the tension in the room was forgotten. Lucas had to admit to himself that planning this heist was the most fun he had in years. He never thought that just being an average criminal in a crew would be this entertaining. Of course, his minister father would shake his finger in disappointment if he knew what he was doing.

Nyssa opened the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of water. She handed one to her sister before changing the subject to the second part of Danny's problem, the loan shark.

“Jack, what have you got on Mikhailov?” she asked as she sat back down with the group.

“Not much. I squeezed a favor out of a friend of mine at the Metropolitan police to tell me what he knows about Mikhailov. What I did found is not good.”

“So, what are we dealing with?” asked Lucy.

“Mikhailov owns a restaurant near Soho. That’s his legitimate business. Outside of that, he's a loan shark, but this is where it gets scary. It's rumored he works for the Russian mob. The police have been trying to get something on him to get the bigger fish, but he's too slippery to catch.”

“Great! The last time it was the Irish mob. Can't we get clients that don’t have any mob ties?” Nyssa asked jokingly.

“If we get him the money, what will that do?” Lucas did not like the idea of funding the Russian mob.

“Well, it might help Danny. I don’t know. I talked with a few more friends that are familiar with Mikhailov's tactics. It seems that if these clients pay him, he leaves them alone. Others just wind up in the hospital. Families pay out with the insurance money, but a lot of good that does to the victim after the fact.”

“Alright, our job is to get Danny the money, so he can pay this man. Nothing else. I don’t want to take on the Russian mob,” said Nyssa.

“Ok, so when are we doing this?” asked Lucy.

“Let’s try for tomorrow night. I'll get the details from Danny about the safe. I have to go to mom’s house this afternoon anyway,” answered Nyssa.

At that moment, Lucas' mobile rang. It was Ros. He hoped this was not an emergency call and went outside to answer it.

“Ros, what's wrong?” he asked.

_“Lucas, are you with Nyssa right now?”_

“Yes.”

_We need you to bring her to the grid. We have an assignment for her.”_

“Right! We will be there in a few minutes.” Lucas hung up the phone. He wondered what kind of assignment they needed Nyssa for.

Lucas went back inside to find the group laughing at some story Jack was telling about he and his girlfriend Katrina. He stood there for a brief moment and took in the sight.

He almost envied Nyssa having this kind of relationship with her team. They were more than just colleagues; they were like a tight-knit family. He wondered how many times they risked their lives to save one another. These were the people that Nyssa was talking about when she talked about trust to him. He wanted that. He wanted to be a part of this group, to feel trusted and acceptanced. If only Nyssa would open the door and let him in.

“I hate to break up this little party, but Ros just rang,” Lucas said then turned to Nyssa. “They want us back on the grid. It seems they have an assignment.”

“Ok, then.” She turned to Jack and Lucy. “You guys be good. I'll call you later about the details for tomorrow night.” Nyssa grabbed her jacket and left with Lucas.

 

Nyssa and Lucas drove to Thames House in silence. The tension that was heavy in the flat that morning seemed to have died down a little, but it was still there. Lucas wanted to talk but was hesitant on how to approach the subject. Nyssa wanted to say something as well, but her stubbornness was getting in the way.

Lucas parked the car in the underground parking lot and killed the engine. He sat there for a minute with the doors locked until Nyssa turned to him with a questioning look on her face.

“Nyssa, I need to tell you something that I could not say this morning,” he began.

“Please don’t. I can’t deal with this right now. Can we talk about it later? They're waiting for us.”

Lucas tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes like a scientist studying the reactions of a chemical experiment. He was slowly picking up on her tells.

“You always do that.”

“Do what?” She was genuinely confused.

“You procrastinate when it comes to discussing your personal feelings. You want to push it off until later hoping that later never comes.”

“Are you a psychiatrist now? What do you want me to do? Lay everything out to you in the car right now when your boss is waiting for us?”

“I want you to shut up and listen for once,” he said with some irritation in his voice.

Nyssa was taken back by his last statement. She sat in silence for a minute until Lucas was certain she would finally listen to him.

“As I was saying, I want to clear up a misunderstanding that happened last night with that blond at the club.”

“You mean the one that you went home with. The one I told you to go for. I shouldn’t be angry at you for taking her home. That’s my fault. Is that what you want to hear?”

“I didn’t take her home. I put her in a taxi and went back inside the club. I watched you coming out of that room with a stain all over your dress. I followed you home to make sure you were safe.”

Nyssa quietly listened to his explanation and was surprised. How would he have known about the stain on the dress if he left before it happened? She closed her eyes and sighed before she spoke another word.

“I’m sorry…. I'm sorry I accused you of sleeping with that woman. Lucy once said to me that I push people away because all I care about is this job. I do care about you, Lucas.” She turned in her seat to face him. “I'm just not good at relationships. I learned a long time ago that relationships weren’t for me. They don’t work when doing this kind of job. I mean, really. Can you honestly say to me that you can successfully balance a normal life and still do this job?”

He stared in her eyes but could not find the words to answer that question. She was right. His one marriage ended in disaster because he kept things from her to protect her, only to see her get hurt even more because of it. Now, because of him, she was dragged into this life, forced to spy on the very people who imprisoned him. Elizabeta did not deserve to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, wondering if someone in the shadows knew what she was doing and would end her life right there.

“No, I tried that once, and it didn’t work,” he said. “No one is guaranteed happiness, Nyssa. If you want it bad enough, you fight for it.”

“Well, it’s a fight I lost a long time ago.”

Lucas knew she was referring to her father again. He silently damned the bastard for inflicting this much damage on his daughter. Before he could say anything more, Nyssa reached for the door handle and opened it. She was trying to escape again just when he thought he was getting through to her. His temper rose again as she was about to exit the car. Lucas grabbed her arm just before she stepped out. He was not letting her get away without saying one last thing.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, Nyssa. We will finish this later.”

Nyssa pulled her wrist out of his grasp and slammed the door shut. Without waiting for Lucas, she turned and headed for the security office. Lucas exited the car, and swore under his breath as he raced across the lot to catch up to her.

 

Lucas and Nyssa exited the pods and walked toward Harry's office. Everyone was at their usual stations working on whatever assignments they had. Each person they passed by would casually look up from the computer monitor to say good morning then go back to work. Malcolm raised his head and stood to greet the couple as they walked by.

“Good morning, Lucas. Harry is waiting for you in the conference room. I'll be joining you in a moment,” he said before he rushed past them to gather his notes.

Lucas nodded and led the way to the conference room. Nyssa followed closely behind.

Hare was seated at the head of the table with Ros seated to his left. Harry had an open file in front of him thumbing through the papers. He swiveled around in his chair to greet the without getting up. Lucas took the chair next to Harry's right with Nyssa taking the seat next to Lucas. She smiled cordially at Ros who returned the smile. Neither of them said anything to each other.

Malcolm arrived a few seconds later with file folders in his hands. He closed the door and took his seat next to Ros just as Harry started the meeting.

“Last week a bomb exploded in a marketplace which killed two CO19 officers. It was one of four bombs displaced around the city that day, and we know it will not be the last,” said Harry.

“The man responsible for the attack was a Pakistani military intelligence officer code name Marlin,” said Ros. “Unfortunately, he committed suicide before he could tell us who turned him.”

“Lucas managed to find a flash drive in his possession that we suspect contained the Intel we need, but the flash drive was encrypted with a malware program that destroyed the files before we could copy them,” said Harry.

“So, what do you need me for? My skills are limited when it comes to computers,” Nyssa commented.

“We have reason to believe that the files were copied from a computer at the High Commission of Pakistan,” said Ros. “We need someone to enter the facility and retrieve them.”

Lucas did not like where this was leading. Sending one of them into the Pakistani consulate without solid proof of any collusion would be a crime of their own making. If they were to get caught they could cause a foreign relations nightmare.

“Wait a minute, Ros. We can’t send someone in there to copy restricted files. If our officer were to get caught, we could destroy our country’s foreign relations with Pakistan. How do we know those files came from the consulate?” asked Lucas.

“There is a 95 percent certainty that they came from the consulate,” said Malcolm.

“That's still taking quite a chance for something that might not be there. Harry, it seems too great a risk.”

“Which is why we are sending in a deniable asset.” Harry glanced at Nyssa who sat there quietly reading the files.

“Nyssa, you have been unusually quiet,” said Ros.

“What kind of security are we talking about here?” Nyssa asked.

“Around the clock, military trained,” said Malcolm.

“Harry, what would happen if she were captured?”

“This operation must be completely deniable. We cannot be associated with it if something were to go wrong. Nyssa is a blacklisted agent turned rogue,” said Ros.

“Where is this computer that keeping the files? Do I need to break into a SCIF room? That would be very difficult.”

“There’s a chance that the files are stored on a server inside the consulate,” said Malcolm before holding up a flash. “By plugging this into a computer’s USB port, I can use their wifi to connect to the computer and find the files to copy them. The problem is that once I gain access into their systems, someone will see the hack and locate its source.”

“That means that someone can find me using their computer. How long do I have before they find it and trace the hacking back to me?”

“Two minutes, at least.”

There was a brief silence in the room as Nyssa absorbed everything that Malcolm told her. She continued to study the file in front of her while all other eyes were on her and her decision. Nyssa closed the file and turned to Harry.

“Give me a couple of days to scout the place. Once I’m in, I need Malcolm to talk me through the computer stuff,” she said.

Harry nodded his head in agreement. The meeting ended with everyone leaving the room. Lucas waited until he and Nyssa were the last people in the room before he stood and blocked Nyssa from leaving.

“You don’t have to do this. Do you understand what will happen if you are caught?” he asked her with a look of concern on his face.

“You act like I haven’t done this before. Yes, I’m well aware of what will happen, just like I’ve been aware of every other mission I’ve been on throughout my entire career. I know what happens when an operation goes bad. Lucas, I’m still here. I know what I’m doing,” she said before she pushed past him and left the room.

Harry was in the hallway waiting for Lucas as Nyssa walked past him. Lucas exited the conference room and stopped when he saw Harry. He had a few choice words to say to him before Harry held up his hand to wait.

“Lucas…..in my office……now,” Harry said and left Lucas planted where he stood.

Lucas followed his boss into his office and closed the door behind him effectively closing off his anger with Harry from the rest of the world. He turned to Harry to unleash all his frustrations. His mind went back to the time when he was captured by the Russians, how his country just left him there and forgotten him. That was the last thing he wanted to do to Nyssa. Just thinking about what they would do made his blood boil.

“Harry, this is wrong. We can’t just send Nyssa in there and turn our backs.”

“I have no intention of turning our backs, Lucas. I know that if I send her in there and something goes wrong, she will not only be vulnerable to the FSB but to this mysterious faction operating under our very noses. But, I also can’t let this possible lead go. Your name is on that list too, and I want to know why.”

“We can’t leave her to do this by herself.”

“Which is why you will go in as her escape plan. If something goes wrong, I want you there to pull her out….whether she likes it or not.”

 


	13. Making New Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are big fans of the Spooks television show, I don’t know a lot about Jo’s back story. Any suggestions or input on the background of these characters from the show is greatly appreciated. Just a side note: I also do not know anything about computers in foreign consulates. Just so you'd know.

While Lucas was in the office with Harry, Nyssa coordinated with Malcolm on what she needed with this operation. The computers in the consulate were connected to the main server, so any computer in the main offices would do. The trouble was getting to those offices which Nyssa assured Malcolm that she had it covered. Once inside the consulate, Nyssa worked out a plan with Malcolm on how to get the files from the computer.

“So, I just plug this thing into a USB port, and you do the rest?” she asked while holding the flash drive in her hand.

“Yes, the wifi chip is inserted in here, and once you plug it in, I will be able to connect my computer with theirs. Once I’ve copied the files, you need to destroy the device before they get their hands on that chip,” Malcolm explained as he showed Nyssa what she needed to do.

She handed the flash drive back to Malcolm.

“Ok. Let me worry about how to get in and out. You worry about the computer stuff. Alright?”

Malcolm nodded in agreement but was not totally convinced. He always worried when an operation was going on. This team was like his family. Each operation, no matter how trivial, had the potential to end with someone getting hurt, captured or dead. And, when that happened, a piece of him would die too.

He still remembered when the call came that Lucas had been captured. At the time, they did not know whether he was alive or dead. He spent months worrying about his friend until they discovered he was still alive but in prison. Then, he spent years worrying about what kind of torturous experience he was enduring.  From that moment on, Malcolm was always ready to step in and help in any way he could.

Nyssa could sense that in Malcolm as she spoke with him. It was admirable, but she worked differently than the others. She had people as tactical backup, but the operations were executed alone. She felt that it was the only way to accomplish her mission without worrying about anybody else getting in the way. She knew what she was doing. She preferred it that way.

Nyssa glanced up at Harry's office and saw that Lucas was still in an intense discussion with his boss. She had appointments of her own to get to that afternoon and decided not to disturb them. She would catch a cab and leave on her own.

“I'll get back with you about when we can do this. Tell Lucas good bye for me. I've got a lot of work to do today,” she said as she turned to leave the grid.

Nyssa called Lucy to update her and Jack about the new assignment then took a cab to her mother's house. Because of the excitement of the past couple of days, she had forgotten to ask Marilyn about the 1968 Ford Mustang that once belonged to her father. Lucy said that the car had been sitting in the garage for years, ever since their grandfather died.

Nyssa loved her Indian motorcycle, but there were times when she needed a car. Stealing, or borrowing as she liked to call it, was too high a risk. She knew that if she kept it up, she would wind up in jail. Harry might not help her out of that one.

Nyssa walked into her mother's house to find Marilyn chopping up vegetables in the kitchen with a cigarette hanging between her teeth. She looked up and smiled.

“Sweetheart, I didn’t expect to see you today,” Marilyn mumbled with her cigarette still clutched between her teeth.

“Yeah, well….. I’m in between projects at the moment, and I remembered something I’ve wanted to ask you.” Nyssa walked further into the house toward the kitchen and was suddenly distracted by what her mother was doing. Her brow furrowed in curiosity as she got closer to the counter. Her mother never cooked vegetables before. “What are you doing?”

“I watched a yoga program on the telly and decided to get healthy. I’m making a salad for lunch. Would you like some?”

“I’ve eaten. Does your salad recipe call for cigarette ash?” she said sarcastically.

“As I said, darling, it’s a process.” Marilyn chose to ignore her daughter’s snarky remark.

Marilyn took the cigarette between her fingers and took a quick puff before removing it from her mouth. She turned her head slightly and blew a silver cloud of smoke away from the food. She turned back toward her daughter and waited for her to ask her question.

“Mom…..I need that car of Dad’s.” She was a bit hesitant to say it.

When it came out of her mouth, it sounded like a question. Marilyn’s eyes lit up with delight, and her face slowly formed a smile. Nyssa thought it was rather funny the things that made her mother happy. Judging from the look on her face, Nyssa could have told her that she and Lucas were getting married. Marilyn slowly walked around the counter toward Nyssa like she wanted to hug her.

“Nyssa, my darling, I’m so happy that you asked me for your father’s car. He would have wanted you to have something to remember him by.”

“Oh, I have enough memories of that man. I don’t the car to help me with that,” Nyssa said as she cringed at thinking of her father. Marilyn missed the gesture as she moved toward her china cabinet. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a single key on a key chain. She closed the drawer and handed the key to Nyssa. The smile never left her face.

“I remember when you and your father worked on that car years ago.”

“Yeah, I remember. I also remember him forcing to fake a seizure at the auto parts store, so he could steal spark plugs. Half the parts in that car were stolen.”

“You might find a few changes made to the car. You know how your grandfather loved American cars.”

Nyssa’s face fell like the air had been taken out of her. Yes, she knew how much her grandfather loved American cars. The man always prided himself as an expert on American classic vehicles. The problem was that he did not know where the engine was located in any vehicle half the time. To discover that he had been tampering with the Mustang all those years made Nyssa feel a little ill. Just what kind of ‘changes’ would she have to work out just to get the car running again?

For the next hour, Nyssa had inspected the Mustang in her mother’s garage. There was a lot of work to do just to clean it up. After Nyssa’s grandfather died, the car sat untouched under a tarp in the garage for years. It needed the hoses flushed out, a new battery, an oil change, new filters, and that was just the beginning.

The biggest problem was the ignition system. Nyssa found a check list made out by her grandfather on the dashboard of the car. The last thing on the list that was not crossed out was spark plugs. Nyssa smiled.

_How ironic, and I was just talking about that._

Nyssa checked the system and found that the ‘changes’ her mother spoke of were many, but the main one was the ignition. Her grandfather modified the system, so average spark plugs did not work. She would have to rebuild the system before she even thought about buying new spark plugs.

Nyssa decided to spend the time working on the easy stuff first. She found an old grey button work shirt and changed her top. She pulled her hair up into a messy pony tail and rummaged through the tools to begin. She was halfway through changing one of the filters when she heard Marilyn calling her from the back door.

“Nyssa, you have a visitor. A nice girl named Jo.”

Nyssa looked up from the car to see Jo walking out of the back door toward the garage. She was wearing a black jacket with a pink top, blue jeans and black shoes. The way she carried herself told Nyssa that her visit was not any type of emergency. Nyssa turned back to the car and resumed her work.

“Hi, Jo,” said Nyssa once Jo entered the garage.

“Hello,” she said in return. “I thought I might pop over for a bit. You know, to see how you were doing. Your Mum's nice.”

“Yeah, if she offers you a salad, politely decline. Trust me on that,” Nyssa said with a smile and went back to work.

Jo giggled slightly then walked carefully around the car, examining its exterior. The outside of the car was dark green with a beige leather interior. The hubcaps were chrome with the front grille painted black. The entire car was covered in dust and cobwebs, even with having the tarp over it.

The exterior resembled the car that was driven by Steve McQueen in the movie, _Bullitt._ Nyssa’s father was a big fan of the movie. Nyssa explained that her father found the car in an old junk yard and brought it home to rebuild it. He wanted to model it after the famous Mustang.

The garage was like the car with boxes piled in a corner labeled as various things. The right of the garage was a work bench with two homemade wooden crates filled with used car parts. The work bench was covered with tools with Nyssa’s radio playing 38 Special’s _Hold On Loosely_.

“What are you doing?” Jo asked innocently.

“Right now, I am changing what filters I can reach. I won’t be able to do much work on it today. Just getting what I can get done before I have to do the big stuff.”

“The big stuff?” Jo asked curiously.

“Rebuilding the ignition system. See, my grandpa had it in his head that he was a connoisseur of classic cars, particularly American models. I'll bet he thought it was Christmas the day Mom brought this over from America.”

“You seem to know a lot about cars.”

“That was my father’s insistence. My brother, Mike, was too young, and I was the first born. Lucy really doesn’t care that much about cars.”

Talking to Jo about the car triggered a memory that Nyssa had not thought about in years. She could see her father explaining the basics of the car’s engine to her as she stood on a stool and leaned over the side. Frank touched each part and called it by name, so Nyssa could learn what they were and where they were located. Then he would go back and ask her what each part was and for her to point to it. In the end, she looked up at him and saw a smile across his face. If she answered every question right, he would take her out for some ice cream.

Nyssa loved working on the car. She and her father would spend the whole day together, and he would reward her with a treat in the end. It was just them, as if they lived in their own world that they made together.

Nyssa closed her eyes to fight back a tear that fell from her eyes. She quickly wiped it away before Jo saw it. She had not thought about those days in a very long time. The emotions attached to those memories threatened to come to the surface. She needed to change the subject quickly or risk showing her vulnerability. She had too many important issues to focus on, and she needed to be strong.

“It looks like you could use some help,” said Jo.

Jo voice brought Nyssa back to the present. She stared at Jo for a few seconds before speaking. Her brow furrowed in disbelief, and she smiled.

“No offense, but I didn’t think you knew anything about cars,” she replied.

“I don’t, really. I was thinking that maybe you could show me.”

Nyssa laughed and pointed to a man’s grey work shirt hanging on the back of the garage door. Jo smiled and reached for the shirt. She took off her jacket and put the shirt on before turning back to the car.

Nyssa and Jo jacked up the car and propped it up on wooden blocks that Nyssa found in one of the crates. Jo crawled under the car and placed a metal drain pan under the oil pan to catch the oil. With Nyssa’s direction, Jo loosened the drain plug. She crawled out from under the car with the plug in her hand.

“Alright….see….. I need to find a new plug. This one’s had it,” Nyssa said as she pointed out the flaws in the seal. “At least, we’re draining the old oil out of it. This is gonna take a while. It’s really thick.”

While Nyssa waited for the oil to finish draining, she turned back to the engine and began explaining the different workings to Jo just like her father once did for her. Jo helped Nyssa with the filters for another hour until Marilyn ran from the house toward the garage calling Nyssa’s name. Nyssa came out of the garage both confused and a little panicked.

“Mom, what’s going on? What happened?” she asked excited.

“Nyssa, It’s Karen. She’s on the phone.” Nyssa took the phone from Marilyn’s hand.

“Karen, what’s wrong?” asked Nyssa.

She could hear voices in the background. It was Karen’s voice telling Danny to lock the door. Some men were trying to break in.

“Karen, call the cops. I’m just across the street. I’m on my over now.” Nyssa hung up the phone and turned to Jo. “Jo, I need a favor. It looks like I may need backup. How would you like to kick some Russian ass this afternoon?”

“I would like nothing better,” Jo said with a big smile.

 


	14. An Encounter With Russians

Nyssa washed her hands and changed out of her work shirt. She took her hair down and turned to Jo who had a confused but anxious look on her face. Nyssa knew that she would have to explain what they were about to do, but there was very little time for the full story.

"What's going on?" asked Jo.

"It's a long story. I can't get into it right now, so I'll have to give you the Cliff Notes version. Karen lives across the street with her son Danny. They are being harassed by a Russian loan shark. I'm trying to keep them from killing Danny before we can pay them off," Nyssa explained before they headed out the door toward Karen's house.

The moment Nyssa stepped outside, she saw the first obstacle. The men had already gained access to the house and left a single man sitting near the front door. He was a man in his late fifties with thinning hair. He was a large man but was not overly muscular. He looked out of place for a guy involved in this type of work. Of course, it had been Nyssa's experience that appearances are always deceiving.

There was no real way to ascertain how many were inside. Nyssa would have to take the chance and go in from the back.

"You see the guy near the front door?" she asked Jo.

"Yes... You want to go through the front?"

"I say we split up and cover both sides."

Both Nyssa and Jo started walking down the street looking as casual as they could.

"Give me a couple of minutes to get around to the back of the house. Can you take the guy in the front and go in from there?"

"Oh, yes," Jo said with a smile. Nyssa returned her smile knowing that Jo was enjoying this little adventure of theirs.

"Okay, remember to give me two minutes before you go in, and be careful. He might be armed to the teeth."

As soon as they were out of the watchman's line of sight, the two women crossed the street and split up. Nyssa took an alleyway through the back gardens and doubled back toward the house. Jo walked back toward the front but stopped at the gate and waited. She checked her watch while also checking the street. She wanted to make sure there were no other guards and no innocent civilians walking along the street. The last thing she wanted was to see anyone get hurt who did not deserve it.

She checked her watch again and saw that it was time. Jo casually walked into view of the house and the guard. She had her jacket on with her hands in her pockets. She headed for the steps like the guard was not even there when the man held up one hand to stop her while his other hand rested on something behind his back.

"Who are you? You cannot go in there," the man said with a Russian accent.

"Private party," he added with a smile.

"Oh, I can go in. I'm the guest of honor," Jo said returning the smile.

The man pulled a gun from behind his back just as Jo kicked him in the groin. She grabbed his wrist as he bent over in pain and twisted the gun out of his hand. She slammed the barrel across the back of his head knocking him to the ground unconscious.

"You, however, are not," she said and continued up the stairs to the front door.

Nyssa entered from the back of the house, quite surprised not to see another guard posted there as well. Perhaps, Mikhailov was more arrogant than she thought.

Nyssa heard screaming and groaning coming from the living room as she entered the house. She carefully closed the back door and quietly walked down the hallway toward the commotion.

"PLEASE... We don't have the money. Please don't hurt him," screamed Karen.

"Your son is very late with my money," said the older man with a heavy Russian accent.

Nyssa crept into the room to see a large muscled man pinning Danny's arms behind his back while another muscled man pounded his stomach with his fists. Danny coughed and was having trouble standing upright. Karen was seated at the far side of the room with an older, thin man with long grey hair standing behind her. His hand rested on her shoulder. With each punch, Karen would try to move toward her son but was restrained by the older man.

"Karen, you know, I could hear the noise all the way across the street and thought I might come over and join the party," Nyssa shouted to get the attention of everyone in the room.

"Who are you?" asked the older man. "This is private conversation."

"I'm assuming your name is Mikhailov. Look, this is not necessary. These are good people."

Nyssa slowly picked up a magazine from the small table next to her. It looked like a magazine journal of cats. She slowly walked into the room rolling up the magazine in her hands. The two men tossed Danny onto the floor and turned to face her as she approached them.

"This man is late with my money. This is none of your business," said Mikhailov.

"I understand that. There's no need for violence. I mean, come on..."

One of the men placed his hand on Nyssa's shoulder. She moved like lightning, twisting her arm around him to lock his arm under hers. She poked him in the throat with the magazine then grabbed him from behind his neck to pull his face down and make contact with her knee. The man fell to the floor in pain.

The other man threw a punch but was blocked by Nyssa who returned with a punch to his ribs. The man pulled a gun from behind his back with his other arm, but Nyssa was quicker. She grabbed his hand and hit him in the throat with the magazine stunning him long enough for her to twist his arm down and break his wrist. The gun fell to the floor. She elbowed the man in the face and kicked the back of his knee with the heel of her foot. He fell down to join his friend on the floor.

Nyssa picked up the gun and stepped away from the two men on the floor. Both of them were coughing, trying to recover from the fight.

Mikhailov merely stayed rooted in his place behind Karen, clapping his hands while he chuckled.

"Very impressive," he said.

"I said we don't want any trouble. We're trying to get you the money. Now, back off," said Nyssa while keeping the gun in her hand pointed at the two men.

Mikhailov turned to look behind him when he heard the front door open. Jo came into the room pointing the gun at Mikhailov. She slowly walked into the room and circled the two men still lying on the floor to join Nyssa.

"Very well. You have three days. After that, if I don't see my money, it will be on you as well."

Mikhailov turned and left the house. The other two men picked each other up off the floor and crept out the front door following their boss. Once they were gone, all three women picked up Danny and carefully seated him on the couch.

Karen went into the kitchen to get an ice pack while Jo examined Danny's injuries. Nyssa check around the outside of the house to make sure that Mikhailov left completely. Nyssa returned from her perimeter check just as Karen placed the ice pack on a large, black and purple bruise forming on Danny's ribs.

"Three days? How are we going to get the money in three days?" asked Karen as she sat down next to Danny.

Danny winced in pain when the ice pack came in contact with the bruise. His breathing was painful but not labored, so Jo was sure there was no broken ribs. But, she told them to go to the hospital just to be sure.

"We're hitting the club tomorrow night. Danny, do you think you could recognize that safe if you saw it again?" Nyssa asked.

"Yes, it looks like one of those old-fashioned kind you see in films. Hang on! Zach only takes investors into the back office. How are you going to do that?" asked Danny.

"My friend is going to pose as an investor."

"Is it that nice man who came with you the other day? Your mother likes him," Karen smiled.

Jo looked over at Nyssa whose face turned red from embarrassment. Jo turned away and smiled. She did not need to ask who that was.

"Yes, well, my mother has her quirks." Nyssa swiftly changed the subject. "I'll come by with pictures of safes, and you can pick it out for me."

Without going into detail, Nyssa explained her plans so that Danny and Karen would understand. Of course, Karen had to explain again in simpler terms for her son.

Nyssa promised to help fix Karen's front door lock later in the day, and the two women left. Nyssa braced herself for a slew of questions that was on Jo's mind as they walked back to Marilyn's house.

"So, what is going on between you and Lucas?" she asked with a smile.

"What?" Nyssa asked abruptly. She was not expecting that to be her first question. "Nothing... Nothing whatsoever."

Jo laughed.

"Oh, I've noticed how he looks at you, how you look at him. You even act differently around each other."

"He's decided to help me with this case. That's it!" Nyssa snapped.

Jo was surprised by Nyssa's tone when she spoke. She watched Nyssa's expressions change as she increased her pace back to the house. There was more to their story than what she was saying. Nyssa's sudden burst of anger had proven that.

Jo decided that now was not the best time to tease Nyssa about Lucas. She could tell the conversation was making her uncomfortable.

After they reached the front door of the house, Nyssa turned to Jo. Her expression softened as she placed her hand on Jo's shoulder to stop her from going inside.

"Jo, I'm sorry for snapping at you a second ago. I'm not good with talking about these things to people, so what's going on between me and Lucas is private. I really can't talk about it right now."

"That's fine." Jo smiled. "It's not my business. I shouldn't have asked."

They both nodded in acceptance. Nyssa reached for the door handle when her mobile phone rang. It was Lucy. Nyssa excused herself and walked away for more privacy. Jo nodded again and walked back into the house while Nyssa continued with her conversation.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Nyssa.

 _"I thought you would like to know that I've been tailing your Egyptian spy, and I think I know when you can get close to him. Can you come to the hotel? Meet me out front."_ "Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Nyssa hung up the phone and went inside. She finished cleaning up then made her excuses before leaving for the hotel.

Nyssa parked her Indian a few blocks away and walked toward the front of the One Aldwych Hotel. She found Lucy facing the hotel on the opposite side of the street. Lucy pointed at a middle-aged balding man waiting at the entrance of the hotel.

"There he is. He's waiting for his Mercedes." said Lucy.

"Wow! He's lost a lot of hair," Nyssa commented while still keeping an eye on him.

"I've been tailing him for a while. He eats at expensive restaurants, drives a luxury rental. He lives pretty good for a spy."

"It mostly comes from bribes. So, when do you think would be a good time?"

"I'd say the day after tomorrow. He's having lunch with a couple of delegates from the conference at this Lebanese restaurant."

"Great! The sooner, the better."

"And, then what?"

"You know what." Nyssa was growing frustrated that her sister was steering the conversation back to their tired, old argument. "I get Bakari to find me a copy of the blacklist memo, and I finally get a name."

"And, then you get your old job back, and it's off to the races." Lucy was sounding just as frustrated as her sister.

_Why can't she see what is right in front of her?_

"Lucy... Not now... I can't do this now," Nyssa said before she turned away and headed back down the street toward her Indian motorcycle.

"You're gonna have to talk about this eventually," Lucy called out before she breathed an irritated sigh. She watched her sister for a few more seconds before turning in the opposite direction toward her car.

Unknown to the two sisters, a third person watched the entire scene from the driver's side of his vehicle. He snapped a few pictures and waited for the girls to leave before he pulled out into traffic and drove away.

 


	15. Another Piece of the Puzzle

Jo would never admit it to anyone, but she had fun helping Nyssa. From rebuilding an old classic car to beating up Russian loan sharks, Nyssa’s life was definitely not boring. She only knew Nyssa very briefly, but she liked her from the start. She helped Jo after that bombing in the marketplace just a week ago. She was still coping with what happened to her with Boscard, having to deal with Adam’s death, and now the bombing. For whatever reason, Nyssa wanted to help. She felt that somehow, Nyssa understood what she was going through. Perhaps, Nyssa went through the same trials, only they were under different circumstances.

Jo only knew Nyssa’s story from Nyssa herself, apart from what Lucas told her. Jo came to a conclusion of her own about her new friend. This was an accomplished, strong woman who survived so much dysfunction within her own family and had to reinvent herself to do it.

Lucas approached Jo that morning after Nyssa left the grid and asked her to keep an eye on their new asset. He told her his suspicions of what trouble Nyssa might make for herself and said that he was worried for her safety. Jo had her own thoughts as to why he would be so concerned about her, but she did not press the issue with him. When she asked Nyssa about it, Jo was met with agitation and a defensive reaction from Nyssa. She concluded that their behavior showed that something was definitely going on between them, but for now, it was personal only for them.

Lucas warned Jo that Nyssa had a tendency to be secretive when she was planning something. The incident at the hotel proved that theory. Lucas told Jo to be on the lookout for any strange behavior and to tell him about it. When Nyssa took that phone call then rushed out the door with a silly excuse, she counted that as strange. Jo was glad that she had to foresight to install a tracking device on Nyssa’s motorcycle in case she left Marilyn’s house alone. As predicted, Nyssa left quickly to meet with her sister.

Jo monitored Nyssa’s movements until the signal stopped moving. She sent the coordinates to Lucas who drove to the area and watched from his car. He parked his car a safe distance and watched Nyssa meet with Lucy in front of the One Aldwych Hotel.

Lucy pointed to an Egyptian man exiting the hotel. Lucas snapped a few photos of the man while he waited for his Mercedes. After he drove away, Lucas watched Nyssa and Lucy get into a heated discussion until Nyssa stormed off. Lucy did the same in the opposite direction.

Once the sisters were out of sight, Lucas pulled out into traffic. He followed the signal from the tracking device to Nyssa’s flat. He parked the car and watched from a distance as she climbed the stairs to her front door. Lucas watched her go inside before he checked in with Harry.

_“Harry Pearce.”_

“I'm outside Nyssa’s flat. She made a rendezvous with her sister outside of One Aldwych Hotel. I think she found the person she was looking for that morning at the Savoy,” said Lucas. “I'm sending Malcolm the photographs for an ID.”

_“You were right, Lucas. Whatever Nyssa was doing, she knew that we would be watching. Sending her sister to finish what she started is very clever.”_

“Do you want me to bring her in?”

_“No, not just yet. I say we let this one play out. Once she gets what she's after, than we confront her with it. Don’t tell her that we know anything about this.”_

“Alright!”

_“Lucas, stay as close to her as you possibly can. The more she digs into this, the sooner they might try something.”_

“Understood,” Lucas said in a low tone.

He was suddenly hit with anger. How could she do something so reckless without telling him first? Just when he thought he was finally getting through to her, she went around the team, around him, and pursued her own lead. She withheld possible evidence. This may get her arrested and extradited, even killed.

He watched the flat for another hour well after sunset. He sat in his car alone with his thoughts, contemplating rushing up those stairs and barging into her place to have it out with her. He gripped the steering wheel and closed his eyes, imagining himself breaking the door down, grabbing her by the shoulders, and shaking the truth out of her.

He had his hand on the door handle, rehearsing his speech in his head until something else stopped him. It was Harry's orders telling him not to let her know that he had been following her. Suddenly, his spy instincts kicked in along with his rational thinking. Harry was right. This operation involving the Pakistani consulate may not bring them any closer to uncovering this mysterious faction. Nyssa’s connection may prove to be stronger in getting any kind of intel on this shadow faction. It would be smart to let her follow her lead then get the information from her afterwards.

Lucas closed his eyes and breathed a heavy sigh to help him calm down. He looked up at the flat and saw the lights go out. She was going to bed, and at that moment, another image snaked into his mind, an image prompted from a memory of her only a few nights ago. He chuckled to himself and let his mind relive the memory of their time together that night. He could almost feel the kisses and the caresses of their hands and lips. The memory helped him forget about his anger.

He looked up at the flat again and saw no movement since the lights went out. He decided to leave her alone for tonight. He would see her again tomorrow when they would conduct their big heist.  He watched for another hour until he was sure that it was safe to leave without being seen. He drove to the nearest pub. A tall glass of Scotch whiskey was calling his name.

Nyssa woke up very early the next morning and left her flat once the sun came up. She had a very full day starting with the reconnaissance on the Pakistani consulate. She sent Jack there after Harry gave her the assignment to gather as much information as he could on the security. Of course, he protested and argued about how dangerous the operation was. Like Lucas, he did not like the idea that Harry was sending her in because she was the perfect deniable asset. With her record and ‘criminal activities’, who would question whether or not that she was acting on her own?

Jack was also not happy with these early morning meetings. Since he retired from the army, his mornings were usually spent recovering from his late nights he spent in the pub. Mornings was not on his favorite list.

While Nyssa was heading to the consulate, she heard a knocking sound coming from the wheelbase of her Indian. She pulled off the street to take a look.

It was an easy fix. A small rock was kicked up from the front tire and became lodged. Nyssa quickly disposed of the rock and was about to resume her ride when something under the fender caught her eye. Nyssa reached under the front fender and pulled out a tracking device. Her first thoughts were of those men who planted the transmitter in her mother’s house. Could this be them, attempting to keep tabs on her every movements, or was this Harry doing the very same thing? If it was the latter, when did his team do this, and how long have they been following her?

Nyssa contemplated destroying the device or placing it on a parked car, so they could follow someone else for a while. But, another idea came to mind.  If it was these people who blacklisted her, she could lure them out using herself as bait. If it was Lucas, then she knew how to keep him busy and out of her business.

As Nyssa rode through the morning traffic, Nyssa thought about how funny it was that she did not feel anger over the tracking device. As hard as she tried, she could not blame his actions, if indeed this was his doing. Neither of them behaved in a way that would build trust with each other. They were both professional spies. It was hard to set aside all the paranoia, the distrust, all of the traits that came with the job. Yet, it was another reason why a serious, intimate relationship with one another would never work.

Nyssa met with Jack at a café just a few blocks from the consulate. Jack sat at a table at the far corner of the room facing the entrance. He looked like hell, like he had yet to see a bed since yesterday afternoon. His hair looked partially combed, and his clothes looked wrinkled. He had a cup of black coffee and a dry piece of toast sitting in front of him. Nyssa took the seat opposite him at the table and ordered a coffee of her own. It took Jack a minute to fight through the fog of his mind and find his voice to talk to her.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” That was his first question.

“When you served in the army, you had to get up earlier than this. Don’t give me that.” She smiled.

“Why do you think I retired?”

“Another question comes to my mind. Why happened to you last night? You look horrible.”

“I spent the night on a mate’s couch because I missed the three month anniversary dinner with Katrina yesterday.”

“So sorry to hear that!” she said trying not to laugh.

“I need a place to stay for the week. My mate’s wife is kicking me out.”

He waited for a response to his unasked question but only received a blank stare from Nyssa.

“Oh, come on now! It’s just a week,” he begged.

“Five days, and you’re out by the weekend,” she said.

Jack held up his hands in surrender and nodded.

“And, you bring a sleeping bag.”

“Got it!” He smiled.

Nyssa took a sip of her coffee before changing the subject.

“What have you got on the security in the Pakistani consulate?” she asked.

“Well, it’s tight. 24-hour security. Military trained. Each consulate worker, even down to the maintenance staff has a key card reader with their photographs imprinted on them. The security uses facial recognition software for every person in that building. Each floor is equipped with cameras and voice recognition monitors. Even the stairways have cameras.”

Nyssa looked over the pictures that Jack provided, checking out each outdoor camera location that he could find. Burglarizing the consulate would not be a good plan.

“It looks like the best thing to do would be to go in during the day. If I can convince them to let me in, the second thing is to get the head of security out of his office,” she said. “Consulates are usually filled with standard office employees enjoying an overseas post. However, the head of security is almost always a spy.”

“Okay, how are you getting in, and how are you getting him out of his office?” asked Jack dreading that he already knew the answer.

“That’s where you come in,” Nyssa smiled.

Nyssa and Jack spent the morning hashing out a plan to break into the consulate. It was mid-morning when Nyssa noticed Jack’s attention was waning and suggested that they break for a while, so he could get some sleep. She had other things she needed to do anyway to get ready for their big heist that evening.

Lucas was also having a sluggish morning after spending part of the evening at a pub. He was seated at his desk with a strong cup of black coffee going through the guest list at the conference at the Savoy. He thought that maybe there would be a name on that list that seemed familiar. He glanced over at Malcolm who was running a facial recognition program on the photograph of the man at the One Aldwych. He took a breath and resumed his own search, hoping that the picture would produce a lead.

“Lucas, we have a match,” said Malcolm from his terminal.

Lucas rose from his desk and walked over to Malcolm.

“Bakari Essam. Former Egyptian Intelligence from 1996 to 2009.”  The picture of the man matched the one attached to the file on Malcolm’s monitor.

“He works as a delegate now.” Lucas stared at the file, absorbing all the information on the screen. “His name matches the guest list. The dates overlap the time Nyssa spent in the CIA. It would make sense if they crossed paths in the past, but what does he have to do with this?”

“Only Nyssa knows the answer to that one,” said Harry from behind Lucas. “Good work, both of you. Lucas, come to my office.”

Harry led the way to his office with Lucas following him. Once both men were inside, Harry took his seat at his desk while Lucas closed the door behind him.

“Officially, Lucas, I can’t order surveillance on a delegate without any proper reason, but unofficially, we stay in the shadows and watch until she makes contact with him. When do you see her again?” asked Harry.

“Tonight…..I’m taking her to dinner,” Lucas lied. He decided to keep the heist a secret. There was no point in Harry finding out.

“Good. Stay close and find out what she knows. And, watch your back. The closer we get to them, the more dangerous this becomes.”

Lucas nodded his head and left the office. There was nothing left to do until Nyssa got what she needed from this Egyptian delegate. Then, he would get the information from her before the mysterious faction got to them both. It was a race against time, and he hoped that this little cat and mouse game of hers did not cost them more than they could lose.

 


	16. The Approach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's going to be a little slow updating for the next few weeks. My show closed down for a while due to the festival change, so I will be working days and have less down time for writing. However, the story is getting into some of the fun scenes, so the writing itself won’t be a problem. Reviews and feedback are most welcome.

Nyssa spent the remaining afternoon at her apartment with Lucy getting ready for the big heist. Lucas was to meet them later with an expensive sports car that Jack pulled some strings to get. Jack was very vocal about the whole thing to Nyssa while they had their breakfast meeting.

Jack had to promise to turn over his first born if something were to happen to that car. It nearly cost him a case of Scotch just to borrow it.

“Lucas has to sell this role. Zach won’t be tempted to con a man driving a Lexus or even an Audi,” Nyssa told him. “He needs to look like Bruce Wayne.”

It was still a tough sell getting Jack to agree, but he finally did. The second person who was not happy was Lucy. The idea of working with Lucas did not sit well with her. Trying to convince her to help was more painful than pulling teeth.

“I still don’t trust him,” Lucy said shooting her sister a sour look. “He bugged your motorcycle.”

“Maybe, he did. I don’t know for certain. Did you forget about the men who were at Mom's house?” Nyssa asked. She was getting tired of always defending Lucas to her sister.

“Well, my money is on him. I don’t know what you see in him, except that he’s not too bad to look at. But, he's still a Brit. You’re wasting your time playing these games. If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you’re trying to impress him.”

Nyssa was within earshot putting on her lipstick in the bathroom when Lucy spoke that last statement. It made Nyssa pop out of the bathroom with a confused expression. Why would Lucy think that all of this was to impress a man whom at times irritated her to no end?

“What makes you think I'm doing all this just to impress him?” Nyssa asked.

“I don’t know. You tell me. You told him about the men at the house. You’re including him in this side job, which you said you didn’t want MI-5 involved in our personal business. Just what is it that you’re trying to prove to him? Do you like him that much?”

Nyssa rolled her eyes and went back to finishing her makeup while Lucy watched her sister waiting for an answer. When no answer came, she went back to deciding on what shoes to wear with her dress.

“Look, can we just focus on the job tonight? Remember, Lucas is a New York real estate mogul's playboy son. We're supposed to be his arm candy. I need you to latch onto Zach, keep him occupied, and watch our backs while we make our way to the office.”

“Do you think you can crack that safe?”

“What Danny showed me is not a high end safe. Lucas could probably knock the lock off with a hammer.”

“And, that requires the both of you?”

“While you’re outside watching Zach, one of us needs to watch the office door.” Nyssa was tired of explaining her reasons for working with Lucas to her sister. She groaned in frustration and resumed getting ready before Lucas arrived.

“You better make sure that's all you’re watching,” Lucy whispered when Nyssa went back into the bathroom.

She did not want her sister to hear that last comment as it was muttered in anger. Lucy had been noticing how much Nyssa had changed since Lucas came into her life. She seemed happier, more focused on her family than usual. Nyssa was no longer distant, irritable, and tired, like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Lucy also noticed how Nyssa was slowly opening up to Lucas, trusting him with the blacklist investigation that she was working on. She was even including him in one of their civilian cases. Lucy suspected that her sister was falling for him.

If it were anyone else, she would be happy, even encouraging her sister. But, there was something about Lucas that she did not like. They knew very little about him, his background and family. He was an MI-5 officer, which meant that he was used to telling lies. Nyssa was already dealing with trust issues, even in her own family. If he were to hurt her and break her heart, Lucy feared that it would damage Nyssa, permanently destroying her trust in human nature for good.

Nyssa exited the bathroom, crossed the room and sat on her bed to put on the shoes that Lucy pulled for her. No sooner did she slip on the second shoe when there was a knock at the front door. Nyssa stood up and walked to the door. She opened it quickly and saw Lucas dressed in a light grey designer silk shirt with a dark shark skin dress jacket and black pants. His hair was combed back with a touch of mousse hair product mixed in.

He was still very handsome but looked very contrasting to how he normally dressed. Nyssa could tell he was slightly uncomfortable with his appearance. She smiled after looking him over to reassure him.  She had a hard time keeping her own emotions in check and stay professional.

“You look…very good,” she said while stumbling to find the words.

“Thank you,” he said in return. He wanted to say the same, but it took him a minute to find his voice.

Nyssa surprised him with that navy blue dress she wore the first time they went to dinner together. The dress was still a little tight around the chest, and with the low cut v-neck, her cleavage drew the most attention. She wore her hair pinned loosely to her head in curls with two short strands that fell in soft curls along her cheeks to frame her face. The fitted dress with the short skirt curved all around her body causing Lucas’s own body and mind to react.

For a moment, he forgot that she was not dressed that way just for him. He remembered that she and Lucy were dressed as eye candy for Zach, and he instantly went from arousal to jealousy.

Nyssa left the door open and walked toward the kitchen bar where she had her small matching purse and keys on the counter. Lucy had finished buckling the straps of her open-toed heels and stood up from the edge of the bed ready to go.

Lucy was beautifully dressed as well wearing a loose cream top that fell just above her knees, sleeveless with hunter green shoulder straps that crossed at her back. She wore green shoes that matched the green in her dress. The colors complemented her blond hair. Both women were dressed to impress, which made Lucas wonder who Nyssa really wanted to impress.

“You’re wearing that?” Lucas asked in a deep, husky voice that even surprised him.

Nyssa turned to Lucas and saw the furrowed look on his face and frowned. She did a quick once over of herself and looked back at him with a questioning look.

“What's wrong with how I look?” she asked.

“Yeah, it certainly beats the jeans and t-shirt look that she's been married to all these years,” said Lucy. Nyssa gave her sister a sarcastic smile and turned back to Lucas.

“Really, what's wrong?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Lucas managed to say.

“Okay, then let’s go,” she said.

The conversation was making Nyssa uncomfortable, especially with her sister in the room. She grabbed her bag and walked toward the door. As she passed Lucas, he caught a hint of the perfume she was wearing along with the scent of wild flowers from her hair. He closed his eyes to both savor the moment and also give him a minute to get control of himself before following her out the door. His mind went back to that night when he picked her up at her mother’s house. That scent was the same.

Lucy watched the scene unfold before her with a frown on her face. From Nyssa's behavior to Lucas' reaction, she could tell there was an unspoken, wild attraction between them. She did not like it, but what could she do about it? She would have to come up with something quickly before her sister fell too far down that rabbit hole.

Lucy followed the couple out of the apartment and locked the door. She turned around and was nearly knocked for a loop when her eyes caught sight of a gorgeous Aston Martin DB9 parked just below the stairs.

_Jack definitely outdid himself this time. Nice job, for a Brit!_

She smiled to herself as she defended the stairs, never taking her eyes off the vehicle. The car was dark silver with chrome wheels and tinted windows. It was a two-door, four-seated V-12 with 540 horse power.

It was an impressive car, enough to garner the attention of all three occupants. Lucas opened the passenger side and moved the seat for Lucy to get in first. Then, he adjusted the seat for Nyssa. He caught her scent again as she climbed into the car. Once she was inside the car, Lucas closed the door and took a breath of evening air before he walked to the driver’s side and climbed in. Before this night was over, he would have to find a way to control himself. It was getting very difficult to stay professional.

They drove to the club and stopped in front for the valet. The plan was to make a grand showing so that everyone in the club would see the new millionaire playboy in town.

The car certainly turned some heads when he arrived, especially the girls waiting outside of the club. The valets were the first to open the doors of the Aston Martin to let its occupants out. Lucas climbed out of the car and handed the keys to the nearest boy with the big grin on his face. The other valets helped Nyssa and Lucy exit the car. Their eyes were taking in every inch of the women as they onto the curb and waited for Lucas to come around and take their arms. He squeezed between them and with their hands draped over each arm he escorted them into the club.

Everyone was watching the new guy with his hot dates as they entered the club. Zach noticed Lucas the moment he walked in, but the person who really caught his eye was Nyssa. Seeing the two of them together triggered a memory. He had seen this man in the club a few nights ago with Nyssa hanging on his arm. This man looked a little different that night, but it was definitely him. Judged by his clothes and the company he kept, Zach thought that this was a man he should get to know.

All eyes were on Lucas and the girls as he walked up to the bar to order a round. Nyssa and Lucy continued to hang on Lucas but were also flirting with the other men around them. Lucy broke away a few times to talk to the men seated at the bar closest to her. She completely ignored Nyssa and Lucas and started to mingle with the crowd.

Lucas was having no trouble making a considerable amount of friends in the club. A red-headed girl in a tight green dress casually squeezed in between Lucas and Nyssa and ordered something from the bartender. She gave Lucas a few flirtatious glances while she waited for her martini which Lucas returned with a few glances of his own.

On the outside, Nyssa was composed and playful, but on the inside, Nyssa wanted to pull the red-head by her dyed roots. She decided that the red-head had to go and moved toward Lucas. She gave him a long-deep kiss before leaving him standing at the bar to follow her sister. The red-head’s smile faded quickly, and she took her drink back to her table in the far corner of the room.

When Nyssa kissed Lucas, it took him by surprise, but he quickly recovered and returned the kiss. It felt good to feel her lips again. He savored the moment until she stepped away. The absence of her body gave him a sudden chill and brought him back to reality. He watched her walk away to flirt with some of the other men and frowned. For a brief moment, he felt the anger build in him until he took a breath and smiled. He was there to do a job, just like her. They had their parts to play, nothing more.

Lucas began flirting with the girls around him, ignoring Nyssa all together. The hour had passed and he had at least four other women hanging on his every word. By that time, Lucy and Nyssa made their way to the other end of the bar. Each time someone would ask questions about the flashy, tall new guy in the club, and they would spin the story about Lucas being a millionaire's son from New York.

Zach overheard the stories and made his way over to Nyssa. She put her arms around him and pulled him over to the dance floor. Zach had his hands all over her while she encouraged the attention. She called Lucy over to introduce her to Zach. Lucy instantly grabbed Zach by the arm and pulled him back to the bar. She acted like a girl who wanted to get to know everything about this man. Lucas watched the whole scene unfold from the bar and fought the urge to snap the man's neck.

Zach glanced over at Lucas who was doing quite well for himself. He did not seem to miss the girls at all. In fact, Lucas' expensive attire and playboy attitude was catching everyone’s attention in full, including Zach.

“Nyssa, who is that bloke by the bar?” he asked her while keeping his eyes glued to Lucas.

“That's David McCormick,” she answered with her British accent. “He's an American. Some millionaire's son from New York. A real estate mogul.”

“Really! Why don’t you introduce us,” he said. It sounded more like an order.

Nyssa smiled and led the way to Lucas. He was in the middle of some story that had the women around him giggling and hanging on his every word. Lucas turned and saw Nyssa walking toward him with Zach right behind her.

“There she is,” he said with a smile.

Lucas grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in for another kiss. The kiss took Nyssa by surprise this time, but she played along. Lucas broke the kiss and stared at her for a quick minute as if he wanted to memorize her reaction. She was so beautiful when she was aroused.

“I love a woman who knows how to fill out a tight dress,” Lucas said as he picked up Nyssa by the waist and kissed her hard on the lips.

He put Nyssa’s feet back to the floor and slapped her behind before turning back to Zach. Nyssa smiled at him, but her eyes went from sensual to angry. She gave him a stern warning about slapping her on her ass.  She felt that he was playing his role a little too well. When he slapped her backside again, she could feel her anger building. Did he think this was a game? Between his blatant flirting and his behavior toward her, she was beginning to wonder. She was definitely planning to set him straight after this.

“Hello,  I’m Zach,” he said reaching out his hand to shake Lucas'. “I'm a part owner of this establishment. You’re an American?”

“New York. David McCormick.” Lucas took Zach's hand but gripped it a little too tightly. Zach winced slightly but kept smiling.

“That's a helluva grip. Nyssa says you're into real estate.”

“That's my Dad's business. My interests lie in more pleasant avenues,” he said as he wrapped his arm around the waist of a blond who was pressed a little too close to him.

Zach’s mobile vibrated in his jacket pocket. He reached inside and answered the call.

“Sweet Baby, hi……” before Zach could continue the call, Lucas took the phone from his hand.

“Sweet Baby, Zach's got to call you back. He has to learn some manners first.” Lucas hung up the mobile and dropped it in his glass of whiskey.

Zach was taken back by the gesture. He did not know what to make of this alpha male in front of him. Here was a man who commanded the attention of everyone around him. He knew how to spend money and play hard. The women, the booze and the lavish lifestyle were a vice that Zach could exploit. David McCormick was the perfect mark. It was time to throw out the hook and see if he would bite.

“I apologize. That was very rude of me,” Zach said with a smile. “How about I make it up to you and offer you a glass of champagne on me.”

“Champagne, it must be breakfast,” said Lucas.

“Whiskey. The finest from Scotland. Let's take this party to the back room. What do you say?”

“I say let's bring the women along. It can’t be a party without them.” Lucas smiled.

Zach gestured for the women around the two men to go ahead of him while he ordered a bottle of their best whiskey from the bartender. Lucas took Nyssa’s hand while his other arm snaked around Nyssa’s waist and rested on her backside again.

Nyssa dug her nails into his palm and heard him hiss slightly from the pain. He squeezed her hand in retaliation. Nyssa turned to face him and wrapped her arm around the back of his neck. She pulled him down toward her to whisper in his ear.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked as quietly as she could.

“I'm enjoying this little role playing, since you are so obviously enjoying it as well.”

Lucas pulled back and stared into Nyssa’s eyes. Both were smiling at each other, but their eyes expressed their real emotions. The gauntlet was thrown. Nyssa promised herself that when this evening was over, she would kick his ass.

Lucy joined the parade of women gathering at the door as Zach walked back with a large bottle and some glasses. He smiled at Lucas as he held up his arms and gestured for the group to venture inside the room.

“Shall we go in, everyone? I do believe that this will be the beginning of a great friendship,” said Zach as he led the way inside.

The girls entered with Lucas and Nyssa following from behind. They gave each other one last glance before they entered.

_This is gonna be a long night!_


	17. The Build-Up

The party in the back room was equally as lively as the club in the main dance hall. There were five girls, including Nyssa and Lucy, dancing in a corner of the room in full view of the two men seated on the couch. Lucas was propped up by the navy blue and burgundy pillows with a drink in his hand. Both he and Zach were admiring the view while Zach tried steering the conversation to business. Lucas took another sip from his whiskey glass and smiled. Secretly, he wished that he had vodka.

Lucas looked over at Nyssa who looked back at him. She turned her head to the hallway at the far side of the room to indicate to him where the office was. The gesture was missed by Zach who was too busy presenting his idea to his new mark.

“American real estate must be very lucrative,” said Zach leaning back against the arm of the couch.

“That’s my dad’s business, not mine. My dad lived a rigid lifestyle. Asleep by ten, up by five. Never takes a day off. He always said to me, ‘Never rely on just your name to get by, son. Hard work and smart choices are the key.’ As you can see, he and I have different views on life. Five a.m. is for going to bed, not getting up,” said Lucas in his New York accent.

He took another drink and glanced again at Nyssa. This time, Zach followed his gaze and smiled as he too watched Nyssa. Lucas’ eyes shifted to Zach and watched as the man was pleased at the sight. He was a breath away from reaching over and snapping the man’s neck. His thoughts strayed back to a few nights ago when Nyssa sat alone on this very couch with that man. Lucas wondered how far Nyssa let that man’s eyes and hands roam on her body before she stopped him. The image of her dress covered in martini stain when she left the room came back to him.

Zach looked back at Lucas and smiled. He mistook Lucas’ intense stare as interest in their conversation and decided to present the build-up to hook his mark. He might even get Nyssa to play along and throw her in to sweeten the pot.

“I can see you are a man who knows what he wants,” said Zach bringing Lucas back to the present. “I can relate to that.”

Zach turned toward the girls and called Nyssa over to him. Nyssa took a drink from the champagne she had in her hand and set the glass on a nearby table. She smiled as she casually walked toward the men. Zach took Nyssa’s hand and gently pulled her over to set on his lap. He put one arm around her waist and the other hand around her neck to pull her head toward him. He smiled as he nibbled and kissed her neck in front of Lucas.

Nyssa smiled, but inside, she was extremely uncomfortable with this sensual display in front of Lucas. She could tell that Lucas was about to lose what little control he had. She needed him to stay calm if they were to finish this operation. Killing Zach would not get them any closer to finding the money. Plus, she finally had to admit to herself that she cared deeply for Lucas, and she did not want to hurt him like this.

She gently reached for his hand, pulled away from him, and smiled. Zach returned the smile and turned back to Lucas. Nyssa saw that he was gripping his glass a little too tightly as Zach spoke. Luckily, Zach was still oblivious to what was happening around him.

“I, too, am a man who knows how to get what he wants, and I want you to share in the pleasures of a very lucrative business investment,” said Zach. “I won’t waste your time with small potatoes.”

“Then don’t. What have you got for me?” asked Lucas.

“The ground floor of a new dance club opening in Havana.”

“Havana. The last time I checked, I think that’s in Cuba,” Lucas said trying to sound curious but interested.

“Yes, but it’s the best location for an investment opportunity that can, how you Americans say, ‘fly under the radar.’ The tax breaks are enormous, and the returns on the investment come close to a thousand percent.”

“How much are you investing?”

“Sweat equity, my friend. That’s the hard part. My expertise, time, planning. All you need to do is supply the capital. £200,000, that’s easy.”

“I don’t know,” Lucas said as he turned his gaze to Nyssa. “I may need a little more convincing.”

Zach nodded his head and smiled. He knew what Lucas was referring to, and in order to get this man on the hook, Nyssa would have to play along.

“Sweetheart? Why don’t you keep Mr. McCormick company while I get us another drink?” Zach asked as he practically pushed Nyssa onto Lucas’ lap.

Zach took both glasses and walked toward one of the bar maids standing by the doorway. Lucas wrapped his arm around Nyssa’s waist and tightened his grip painfully to make his point. Nyssa smiled to play along and leaned into him to whisper in his ear.

“That hurts, you jealous bastard. Are you trying to ruin this for us?” she asked in a seductive, but forceful tone. Lucas was having none of it.

“I’m merely selling my character, a self-centered, insensitive playboy who just wants to climb into those knickers.” He moved his hand to rest at her backside. “Which reminds me, are you even wearing knickers on under that dress?”

Lucas smiled as he continued to fondle her through her clothing which only made her more angry. His playfulness was getting on her nerves. She started imagining all kinds of things she could do to get back at him when Zach returned with the drinks. He handed one to Lucas and resumed his seat at the other end of the couch.

“So, my friend, are you interested?” asked Zach.

“It's getting there, but maybe the little lady can help me hash out the details,” Lucas said with his eyes never leaving Nyssa.

Nyssa glanced over at Lucy who was casually watching the whole scene from a distance. Nyssa carefully nodded to her sister to signal the next step in their plan. Zach continued to smile as he watched the couple, not noticing the simple gesture. Lucy slowly walked toward them and placed her hands on Zach’s shoulders. Zach turned to face Lucy as she also circled around to sit in his lap. Lucy smiled as she wrapped one arm around Zach’s neck and caressing his face with the other hand.

“Why don’t you boys stop playing with each other,” Lucy said with a British accent. “And, play with us instead?”

Lucy leaned in and kissed Zach deeply while moving her hand from his cheek and down his chest. While keeping Zach focused on their kiss, she carefully reached into his coat and lifted his key card to the office door. Nyssa leaned toward Lucy and took the card when Lucy passed it to her sister. Nyssa leaned in to Lucas and kissed him the same way while reaching into his coat and placing the card in his inner coat pocket.

When the pass was complete, Nyssa pulled back to break the kiss. Lucas looked into Nyssa’s eyes with disappointment. He was not ready to break the kiss he longed for since their one night together. Acting on impulse, Lucas reached up and grabbed the back of her neck. He pulled her back down to crush her lips with his. Nyssa closed her eyes, and a short moan escaped her lips more out of surprise than pleasure. Both of her hands pushed slightly against his chest.

Nyssa had to fight against her instincts not to break one of his ribs, since she was supposed to be enjoying this aggressive behavior. As the kiss deepened, her feelings of anger were slowly melting away to be replaced by excitement. She did enjoy Lucas kissing her, more so than she was willing to admit even to herself. Lucas lessened the pressure he had on her neck and moved his hand to let his fingers get entangled in her hair. Eventually, the kiss broke, and Nyssa pulled back to look at him. There was no anger, only desire and a tenderness that they never saw in each other’s eyes before.

For a brief minute, they both forgot that they were in a room full of people.  Luckily, no one thought their behavior was remotely strange. Zach watched with a smile on his face thinking that Lucas’ interest in Nyssa might help cinch the deal. Lucy noticed that her sister was drawing too much of Zach’s attention. She placed cupped both her hands around Zach’s face and turned his head toward her.

“Buy me a drink, dearie?” she asked in her British cockney accent.

Lucy’s voice brought Nyssa back to reality. It was time to put the next part of their plan into action.

“Honey, you sure know how to get a man’s attention,” said Lucas slowly caressing Nyssa’s thigh with his hand. “Where’s your head? I gotta take a break. This whiskey’s running right through me.”

“The end of the hallway, to the right,” said Zach who was also busy being entertained by Lucy.

Nyssa moved to let Lucas stand. Lucy also stood and pulled Zach up toward the door to the bar in the main dance hall. Lucas walked down the hallway toward the office with Nyssa loitering at the entrance. When she was sure that Zach would not be returning quickly, she turned and walked toward Lucas and the office door. Lucas opened the door with the key card and rushed inside. Nyssa followed closely and closed the door behind them.

When she turned back to face Lucas, she noticed that Lucas was standing in front of an open wall safe. She was stunned for a brief second, as was he. The safe was filled with bricks of cash along with some tax documents about the Havana club. Why would a high stakes con artist be so careless as to leave his safe filled with money open for just anybody to steal?

Lucas pulled out a couple of the wrapped bricks to examine them closely. It looked like tens of thousands of pounds per brick, except upon closer observation, the bricks were only a few hundred pound notes wrapped with newspaper cut to the same size. The money was faked along with the paperwork.

“The safe is a prop to impress marks. There’s nothing here. Dammit,” said Nyssa. The frustration was evident in her voice.

Lucas pulled out his mobile from his pocket and dialed Jack, who was waiting in his car parked behind the club.

 _“Is it time to take away the rubbish?”_ asked Jack.

“There’s no money in this safe, Jack. Just a few £100s and some fishwrap,” said Lucas tossing the fake brick back into the safe.

_“Where’s the real safe?”_

“Good question.” Lucas looked over at Nyssa who mirrored the same look. Neither of them had any answers.

While Lucas was chatting with Jack, Nyssa’s mobile vibrated from a call. It was Lucy calling with a warning.

“Yeah, Lucy, what have you got?” she asked.

_“You all better hurry up in there. Zach’s out here on the main floor talking to a couple of big guys. I’m thinking they are Zach’s partners. It looks like they're getting ready to go into the back room. If they catch you in that office, I doubt they’ll just throw you out of the club and be done with it.”_

Nyssa knew that if she and Lucas did not find that safe very soon, they would never get another chance like this. Also, Lucy was right. There was no way out of the office except through the hallway, and if Zach and the partners found them there, getting banned from the club would be the least of their worries.

 


	18. Improvised Solutions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do a lot of reading and watching movies. I can’t tell you if the solutions that Nyssa comes up with actually work, so I advise not to try them yourself. I can only say that I believe that when faced with a situation, Nyssa is very smart and resourceful. Any woman who can put together a classic car is capable of becoming MacGyver in any situation. That makes her a good spy. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please feel free to write me a review and let me know how I'm doing. Thank you.

“We've run out of time,” Nyssa said to Lucas as Lucas began searching the office for an alternative hiding place for the cash. “Lucy says that Zach is in the main hall with two men she thinks might be his partners.”

Lucas stopped searching and turned to Nyssa. This was their one chance to get access to this office, to get back Danny’s money. The opportunity was slipping away, and they had no idea where the money was hidden.

Nyssa was not about to walk out of the office without something to help them find the money. They needed to install some kind of listening device, but unfortunately, Lucas did not have a MI-5 bug handy and her own homemade bugs were back at the apartment. She would have to improvise.

“Do you still have Jack on the line?” she asked.

Lucas nodded.

“Give me your phone.” Nyssa held out her hand while still on the other phone with Lucy. “Lucy, keep watching them and tell me when they get close to the back room. Stall them if you have to.”

Nyssa hung up her phone and quickly glanced around the office. It was a messy office, but it had all the things one would expect to find in an office. There was a fax machine by the filing cabinets in the far corner of the room. On the desk, there was a coffee cup full of pens and an older desk top computer system with the CPU tower under the desk.

“Lucas, I'm gonna need your phone. I owe you another one.” Nyssa grabbed the letter opener from the cup full of pens and circled the desk toward the computer tower. Lucas handed her the phone while she worked on opening the side panel of the computer.

“Jack, I need you to put your phone on mute and make sure the battery is good.”

_“Nyssa, you’re mucking about with my mobile. What if Katrina rings? You know how gutted she was at me the last time. How is she supposed to talk to me?”_

“Tell her to try the nearest pub,” said Nyssa as she pried the back off of the mobile.

“Lucas, watch the door. This will only take a few seconds.”

“What are you doing?” he asked moving toward the door.

“I’m improvising a listening device concealing it in the computer.”

Lucas turned to watch the door occasionally glancing back to see what Nyssa was doing. Nyssa pulled a couple of wires loose from the USB port and attached them to the back of the mobile before stashing it next to the interior fan unit of the CPU. The battery system for the phone now had a continuous source of power to sustain it. She re-attached the side of the computer and put the letter opener back in the cup.

 _“Nyssa, you need to get out of there. They’re coming,”_ said Lucy.

Lucas opened the door and grabbed Nyssa to pull her out of the office. Zach and his partners were already in the back room and headed for the hallway. Lucas opened the bathroom door next to him and dragged Nyssa through the door. He quickly closed the door behind them just as the three men entered the hallway and headed for the office.

The bathroom was very small with nothing more than a sink and toilet. There was barely enough room for one person, let alone two. Both Nyssa and Lucas had to press against each other to fit in the room. They could hear the three men having a heated argument in the hallway before they heard the sound of the key card unlocking the door.

Nyssa held her breath and stayed completely still listening to the voices in the hallway. She turned her head to Lucas whose face was only a breath away from hers. She stared into his eyes like she was in a trance until he whispered something to her that she did not quite hear.

“What?” she asked quietly.

“I said, they’re gone. They went into the office,” Lucas said. His voice was low and quiet and felt as though it resonated right through her.

“Oh, okay,” she said with a slight tremor in her own voice.

“When we get out of this, I want you to show me that trick you did with my mobile.” Lucas smiled.

“That would be telling, and I can’t tell you all my secrets.” Nyssa returned his smile. Lucas smirked before he turned toward the door.

Lucas waited a minute to make sure that the hallway was empty before opening the door. He turned back to Nyssa and took her hand. He wanted so badly to stay in the position that they were in. Having her pressed against him nearly broke his self-control. But, that club was not the proper place to rekindle their romance. They needed to get out of there before they get caught.

By the time they made it back to the private party room, Zach was there dancing with Lucy and the other girls. Nyssa resumed her slapper persona and hung on Lucas like he was the best thing in that room. Zach saw the two emerge out from the hallway and assumed something else went on in that bathroom beside the usual business.

_Good, Nyssa’s doing her part._

Zach smiled and approached Lucas with his hand out, ready to shake hands and get his deal finalized.

“Are you ready to talk business, mate?” he asked with his other hand resting on Lucy’s backside.

“A little later. Right now, I want to get to know these little ladies a lot better. I’ll call you later with the details,” Lucas said. “Come on, sweethearts. Let’s go back to my place.”

Lucas bent over and grabbed Nyssa around the legs. He stood and hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He reached out and grabbed Lucy by the wrist and pulled her along through the door into the main dancehall. Without stopping, Lucas carried and pulled the sisters through the crowd of patrons and walked out the front door. He handed the parking attendant a sizeable tip and the parking ticket before setting Nyssa on the ground.

“Did you get it?” asked Lucy.

“No, but I stashed a bug in their computer,” Nyssa said in a low voice. “We need to get them to show us the money.”

“How are we going to do that?” asked Lucy in frustration.

“I don’t know yet. I’m working on it.”

The car arrived, much to the disappointment of the club parking attendants. They wanted to admire the car for a while longer.

Lucas helped the girls back into the car like the gentleman playboy he was supposed to be and climbed into the driver’s seat. He left the club in an engine rumble and a cloud of smoking rubber to impress all who were watching. He had to admit that this was the most fun he ever had at playing undercover.

Lucas drove Lucy home to Marilyn’s house first to drop her off. Nyssa told her that they would meet later tomorrow to hash out an alternative plan. Then, Lucas drove back to Nyssa’s flat. He pulled into the back of the warehouse and killed the engine. He moved his hand to the door handle when she gently grasped his arm to stop him.

He turned to her and looked in her eyes. Nyssa looked at him like she wanted to say something but quickly stopped herself.

“Nyssa?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Her eyes wandered down, and she hesitated. “I want to thank you for helping us resolve Danny’s problem. I know that Harry wouldn’t like how you’re spending your free time.”

“Harry doesn’t know.” Lucas smiled. “And, what I do outside of the office is my own business.”

“You and I both know that’s not true.” She laughed. “It seems we can’t be straight with each other no matter how hard we try. I guess it’s the misfortunes that come with the job.”

They both sat in the car in silence for a minute contemplating what they were going to say to each other. Nyssa wanted to confront him about the tracking device on her motorcycle. She knew it was him. Those other men would have no reason to keep tabs on her. They knew where she was living. It had to be Lucas. Harry was too quick to dismiss that incident at the hotel without interrogating her. This was the nature of being a spy. They all knew the game very well and knew how it was played.

In the end, Nyssa decided against saying anything. She did not have the strength to fight with him tonight. Their play acting in the club stirred up feelings that she was having a hard time suppressing, and all she wanted to do was call it a night and go to bed.

“We need to get together to plan a new strategy tomorrow. I’ll let you know when we can do that. So, drive home safely. Good night.”

She climbed out of the car before Lucas could move or say anything. Nyssa turned away and nearly sprinted to the stairs to her apartment. She did not look back for fear she might catch him rushing toward her. All she wanted to do was to get away from him while she still could.

Lucas was confused when she leapt out of the car like someone was chasing her. He watched her rush toward the stairs with his jaw hanging open in surprise. Just when he thought he was getting through to her, understanding her, she changes the rules again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, gripping the steering wheel of the car until his knuckles turned white.

Lucas tried to get his anger under control. She always managed to get his blood boiling every time she did this. He opened his eyes and was left with a choice. He could drive to the nearest pub and get pissed again, or he could go home and try to unwind in a bathtub. Or, he could march up to her apartment and have it out with her.

Lucas looked up at the large windows of the apartment and saw that Nyssa had just turned the lights on and closed the door. He decided on the third option.

Lucas got out of the car and locked the doors. He stormed over toward the stairs and took every other step. He banged on the door with his fist and waited for Nyssa to answer it.

Nyssa had taken off her shoes and was about to get a glass of water when she heard the knocking at the door. It was more like loud banging. She knew instantly who that was. Without grabbing for her gun but keeping it accessible just in case, she went to the door. She was preparing her speech in advance, knowing what Lucas was going to say. She did not want to give him the chance.

Nyssa opened the door and held up her right hand to stop him from coming inside. Instead, Lucas grabbed her hand and with his other hand, grabbed the back of her neck. Before she could react he stepped forward and pulled her toward him in a crushing kiss. Nyssa was too stunned to do anything but stand there while his lips assaulted hers. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist to squeeze her closer to him.

Nyssa relaxed into him and kissed him back with equal fury. Lucas reached for the shoulder straps of her dress and was about to pull them down when Nyssa broke the kiss. She looked into his eyes and placed her hand on his forearm.

“Please don’t…….. Lucy will kill me if I ruin another one of her dresses.”

She guided his hand to the zipper of the dress, and Lucas smiled before returning to her lips for another breathless kiss. His foot reached behind him and kicked the door shut, locking the rest of the world out.

As the night wore on, the two of them made love in the dark, eventually succumbing to sleep in each other’s arms. Neither of them knew that there was a third party interested in their activities. He stood on the rooftop across the street and snapped his pictures. After an hour of watching them sleep, he smiled to himself.

“My….my…. Mr. North and Ms. McBride. You two have been very busy bees. How marvelous!” He smiled before collecting his camera and disappearing in the shadows.

 


	19. Now You See Her....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank my readership, old and new, for having patience and sticking with me throughout these stories. I was on vacation last week, and this week I posted another chapter to my Hobbit fanfic. I want to finish that story as well as this one, but my Hobbit story hasn't been flowing as well as this one. I feel like I'm neglecting it, which is something that I don't want to do with any of my stories. So, with another chapter finished on that one, I can return to this story for a while. I would love hearing from all of you. The kudos that I received from my Hobbit story helped me come up with new ways to move the story along. I would love to hear from anyone who is following this story, both praise and criticism are welcome. The attention helps me with my writing. Have fun with this story, and Thank You for reading.

Lucas woke up from a nightmare. It was very early in the morning, and the apartment was still dark. At first, he felt his usual panic, like the walls were too close, and he could not breathe. But, a sweet smell of wildflowers slowly brought him back to the present.

Nyssa was laying on her side with her back facing him. She had changed positions in the night and rolled to her side with her long auburn hair fanned over her pillow.

Lucas rose to a sitting position and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. It was the same dream as before. He was stripped naked, strapped to a table with a wet cloth over his face. The interrogator kept repeating the same question in Russian while another person poured water over the cloth.

_Tell me about Sugar Horse._

Lucas woke up with a sense of drowning. When he felt his forehead, he noticed that he was sweating. He glanced over and saw that she was still asleep. He laid back down and rolled to his side facing her.

Lucas took a breath and smelled the wildflowers in her hair. Nyssa always managed to chase the demons away at night. He felt calm when she was with him at night. It was just like that first night they spent together.

He reached out and lightly traced his fingers over her bare shoulder and down her arm. Her skin came alive with goosebumps, and she moaned as she stretched. His eyes followed the curve of her neck to that sweet spot where her neck met her shoulder. He reached over and kissed the mark he made before wrapping his arm around her waist and gently pulling her toward him, so her back was flush with his chest. He closed his eyes, smelled her hair again, and eventually fell back asleep.

It was Nyssa who woke up as the sun streamed through the windows of her apartment. She felt an arm encircled around her waist and a body pressed against her. She heard his heavy breathing and knew that he was still asleep. She smiled as she placed her hand over his and carefully raised his arm to move out of his grasp without waking him. Nyssa was conflicted about leaving the comfort of the bed, but she had a busy morning ahead of her.

Nyssa quietly went into her bathroom and took a quick shower. After her shower, she wrapped herself in her robe and opened the bathroom door to see that Lucas was still in bed. She watched him for a brief moment, fondly remembering the night before.

Nyssa never felt this happy and content in quite a long time. She did not think it was possible for her until now. Yet, it was the most unusual relationship for any couple to have. This was the second night she spent with Lucas with only one date to show for it, and that evening ended with them being chased through a high school by the Irish mob.

Lucas and Nyssa do not have normal lives and probably never will. They still cannot trust each other. She knew that he was spying on her for Harry. She had not forgotten that tracker on her motorcycle. No matter how close they had become, he would never quit until he stopped her from looking into her blacklist. Both he and Harry were hiding something from her. How could she trust Lucas if he kept secrets from her? Would their relationship survive all of that? Nyssa was already risking her heart and soul playing this dangerous game, yet as she watched him sleep, she decided it was a risk worth taking.

She smiled to herself as she crossed the room toward the kitchen to make some coffee. It was already an hour after sunrise, and she had a lot to do today.

Nyssa thought about Bakari's meeting today and what she needed to do to be there without Lucas or MI-5 knowing it. An idea came to mind. She grabbed her mobile phone and stepped outside on the fire escape. She dialed a number and hoped that it was not too early.

 _“Hello?”_ said the raspy voice of her sister Lucy.

“Lucy, rise and shine. I need your help today,” said Nyssa in a low whisper.

 _“Do you know what time it is? Guess what time I got in last night thanks to you?”_ Lucy said with heavy sarcasm.

“Ok, add that to my growing list of favors that I owe you. Look, I need to get a meeting with Bakari Essam today, and I need your help to distract MI-5.” Nyssa continued speaking in a whisper which made Lucy suspicious.

_“Why are talking like that? Do you have somebody there with you now?”_

Nyssa thought about lying because she knew how her sister felt about Lucas, but she and Lucy made a vow never to do that to each other. Lucy was the only one that she would be honest with no matter what.

“Yes,” she said with a sigh. “Before you ask, you know damn well who it is. Lucas spent the night last night.”

_“I swear, you love to live dangerously. Well, how are you going to keep your MI-5 boyfriend off your back? You know he's going to follow you.”_

“Which is why I need you. Do you remember that trick we pulled in Morocco a couple of years ago?”

 _“You mean when INTERPOL nearly caught up with me? I remember. You and I pulled that little bait and switch to confuse them, so I could get out of the country.”_ She laughed. _“And, you’re planning to do that to MI-5. Sounds like fun!”_

Nyssa imagined that Lucy was enjoying their conversation. She smirked at her last comment then turned to check if Lucas was still asleep.

“Have everything ready. We'll do this at 10.00.”

Nyssa hung up the phone and went back inside for some coffee. She laid her phone on the counter and went back outside to sit and sip her coffee.

Lucas awoke to the scent of fresh coffee. He opened his eyes to see that he was alone in the apartment. He raised his head and quickly searched to find Nyssa sitting in a chair on the fire escape dressed in a bath robe. She was drink in fresh coffee that she made in the kitchen. He smiled and stood up from the bed. He put on his underwear and pants and went into the kitchen to pour a cup. Nyssa was still sitting outside watching the sun peak over some of the buildings across the street.

He walked toward the open door and leaned against the frame watching her. Nyssa felt his eyes on her and turned toward him with a smile. He returned the smile.

“Good morning,” he said in a low, rough morning voice.

“How did you sleep?” she asked.

His mind went back to the recurring dream he had ever since his trigger reaction that night in the rain. His smile faded somewhat while his brain scrambled for some convincing answer. He did not want her to know about his demons just yet. He was not ready to share his experiences in Russia with anyone, not even Nyssa. He did not want to burden her with his problems.

“Fine…… Good….. And, you?” he asked taking a sip from his coffee cup.

“Very nice. It felt good waking up next to you.” She smiled.

Lucas placed the cup on a small table next to Nyssa and stepped closer toward her. He took her hands and pulled her to a standing position. He pulled her closer to him while his hands moved to her waist and caressed her back. His head lowered, and his lips took hers in a long sensuous kiss. Nyssa closed her eyes and wrapped one arm around his neck while her other hand moved into his hair. Lucas held her tighter and deepened their kiss. His hands moved to untie the knotted belt in her robe. They took their intimate activity back into the apartment away from the eyes of anyone walking around the warehouse area.

After an hour together, Lucas took a quick shower while Nyssa pulled out a specific wardrobe out of her cabinet. She had a simple white t-shirt, blue jeans, brown boots, and her tan leather jacket. She brushed her hair into a pony tail. Lucas exited her bathroom with a bath towel wrapped around his waist. He saw that she was already dressed to go out which made him a little suspicious.

“Are you going somewhere?” he asked in confusion.

“I have to meet with some associates that might help us with Danny’s case. I have an idea on how to get Zach to show us his money, but I don’t trust that Mikhailov is going to leave Danny alone until we get him his money.”

“You should have someone go with you. It doesn’t sound safe.”

Nyssa gave him a sideways look of disapproval and finished gathering her keys and wallet. She pulled out a .380 and put it in an ankle holster. She preferred the .380 because it was small enough to conceal.

“I think I can take care of myself. I won’t be long. I promise.” She moved toward Lucas and kissed him. “I’ll be back by this afternoon, and you and Jack can put the next plan into motion.”

Nyssa left the apartment before Lucas could question her further. Lucas walked toward the door while she headed down the stairs toward her motorcycle. He waited until she rode away before he reached for his mobile phone.

 _“Lucas, where are you?”_ asked Harry.

“I’m drinking coffee.” Lucas did not want to give Harry a detailed account of his activities, but he suspected that Harry already knew. “I think Nyssa might be meeting with the Egyptian delegate, Bakari Essam.”

_“Let her meet with him. After she gets her information, bring her in.”_

Lucas agreed and hung up with Harry. He checked the signal from the tracking device before calling Jo and Ben. After coordinating with them about following Nyssa, he went back inside to get dressed.

*

Nyssa took as many turns and extra routes through the city to give her followers quite a chase. She spent the next two hours traveling all over London. Jo and Ben had a challenge keeping up with her. A couple of times, they had to refer to the GPS to re-acquire her.

Nyssa waited at a traffic stop and looked at her watch. It was close to 10.00, and she needed to get as far ahead as she could before they caught up with her. She took a few more turns and ended up in Soho. She found the public parking and pulled in. She traveled up a few more levels until she saw a woman at the end of the parking level dressed in a leather jacket, white t-shirt, and blue jeans. She was holding a rucksack. Nyssa sped toward her and stopped when she reached the young woman and smiled.

“You remember how this works?” She asked her sister, Lucy.

“Yeah, you better hurry, or they’ll find us.”

Lucy had a sack of extra clothes stashed away in a locker at one of the Underground terminals. She and Nyssa coordinated their wardrobe, so Lucy would resemble Nyssa as closely as possible. With a long auburn wig, she was Nyssa’s double.

Lucy also took a series of routes before retrieving the rucksack to make sure that she was not being followed. Once she was certain that the coast was clear, she took the rucksack and made her way to the public parking to await her sister.

Nyssa took off her helmet, dismounted her motorcycle, and passed everything to Lucy who in turn, passed the rucksack to her sister. The exchange was done, and Lucy took off through the passage toward the exit. Lucy planned to spend as much time as she could touring London while the MI-5 team continued following her.

With Lucy as the decoy, Nyssa had the freedom to make her rendezvous Bakari Essam. Nyssa watched Lucy until she was out of sight then turned and headed for the stairs. She said a silent prayer that this plan would work without any problems. She did not want to think about what Harry or Lucas would do to the McBride sisters once they found out they played them again.


	20. Now You Don't....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want to try and involve Jo, and even Ben, more in the stories. It seems they don't get enough air time (especially Connie and Malcolm, although I find it easier to bring Malcolm into the fold in this story). I think that Jo relates more to Nyssa, so she will definitely show up more than Ben. I am thinking about another story involving her more with one of Nyssa's side projects, just to see how she can work with Nyssa's team helping the little people out there in the world with their own problems. It's too bad about Lucas though. Sorry girls, but Nyssa tends to create ways of outsmarting her pursuers. That's what makes her a good spy. Again, I may sound like a broken record, but I want to thank all of you for your helpful comments. They are very appreciated and encouraged. Keep 'em comin'.

Lucas returned to his flat long enough to change his clothes and return to the grid. He did not think it was appropriate to show up with his playboy costume that he wore to the club last night.

The first person he saw when he exited the pods was Ros. She was definitely not in the best of moods knowing that they were spending resources following Nyssa. When she approached Lucas, he already knew what she was going to say before she said it.

“Lucas, if you would….?”

She motioned for him to follow her into the conference room. The combination of her look and her request to speak in private told him that she was more than irritated. She was mad. Once they entered the conference room, Ros waited until Lucas closed the sliding doors before she laid into him.

“Am I to understand that you sent Ben and Jo on an operation to follow your girlfriend?” Ros emphasized ‘girlfriend’.

“I believe that she is meeting with an Egyptian delegate today pertaining to her case. If we can get that information, we may be one step closer to discovering this shadow faction,” Lucas explained, hoping she would see the logic in the reason and not read too much into it.

“And, you did not think to clear this with me? What are you playing at, Lucas? Is Nyssa still keeping secrets from you?” Ros asked with the anger very clear in her voice.

Lucas hesitated to answer that question which Ros took that as a confirmation. She pursed her lips and took a breath. Over the past few days, Ros had kept tabs on Lucas’ activities with Nyssa. She knew through Jo that Lucas was working independently on one of Nyssa’s side projects. She was not happy about that. She feared that Lucas’ judgment was tainted because of his intimate involvement with her.

Harry thought that their relationship would give Lucas an advantage toward manipulating Nyssa into cooperating with them, but she disagreed. If anything, she thought it was the other way around. She thought it was Nyssa who was manipulating Lucas.

“She has proven every time to be untrustworthy, and I think that you have lost control.”

That last statement had Lucas seeing red. Ever since he returned from Russia he felt that Ros was second guessing his motives. He could not believe that after everything they went through, Kechimov and the marketplace bombing, she still did not trust him.

“Be careful what you say, Ros.”

The look in Lucas' blue eyes warned Ros not to go further in their conversation. She could see that Lucas was falling for Nyssa, but her defiant attitude was compromising the safety of her team. Plus, Lucas had been through so much. She did not want to see him get hurt.

Ros was about to say something when the sliding doors opened, and Connie stepped in.

“I'm sorry to interrupt, but we may have a slight problem,” she said as she led both Ros and Lucas out of the conference room toward Malcolm’s station.

“What is it, Malcolm?” asked Ros.

All three crowded around Malcolm and stared at the center of three computer monitors. Malcolm had a map of London with a live tracking signal of both Nyssa and Ben and Jo. Both signals were only a couple of blocks distance from each other.

“I have been tracking Nyssa’s movements all morning since Lucas made the call. It seems that Nyssa has been taking a tour of London, never stopping except once at a petrol station. She has never been more than two blocks away from Alpha team this entire time.”

“That can’t be right,” said Lucas with a furrowed brow. “Even if she was meeting someone else, she would have done it by now.”

Harry noticed the group conference and stepped out of his office to join the conversation.

“Malcolm was there ever a time when Nyssa strayed further away from the team for a short period?” asked Ros.

Malcolm typed a command on his keyboard to bring up a history of the tracker's route. The information popped up on his left monitor.

“Yes, Poland Street,” said Malcolm as he brought up a close-up image.

Lucas examined the area around it and saw a Q-Park. Lucas closed his eyes and took a deep breath as both he and Harry came to the same conclusion. As irritated as Harry was, he could not help but grin and a slight chuckle escape his lips.

“Clever girl,” said Harry.

“She knows we are following her. That’s Lucy, her sister. They changed places at the parking garage,” said Lucas. He did not find any of this amusing.

“Malcolm do we still have surveillance on Bakari Essam?” asked Ros.

“Yes.” Malcolm brought up the information on the monitor. “He just entered the Hilba Express.”

“Keep monitoring his movements. I’m going over there to find her.” Lucas moved to reach for his coat on his chair.

“Lucas, when you do find her, bring her straight here. I don’t care if you have to arrest her to do it.” Harry turned to Connie. “Contact Ben and Jo and have them intercept Lucy. Bring her in as well.”

Lucas rushed toward the pods putting on his coat as he walked. He was too angry to slow down. All he could think about was that she played him again. While he headed for his car, his mind went back to the first time he saw her. It was at the park when she used two boys to act as decoys, so she could get away on the public bus. She was very good, too good. As he started his car and pulled away from Thames House, he thought about his new problem. Would he be able to control his temper once he found Nyssa?

Nyssa changed her clothes into a flowered sun dress and red heeled shoes. She tucked her hair into a hat and wore dark glasses.

Nyssa knew the name of the restaurant, so she was able to grab a table ahead of Bakari and his group. She sat at a small table and faced the main entrance. It was 20 minutes later when she saw Bakari enter the restaurant with three other delegates. They were in good spirits when they walked past her, not recognizing her through her disguise. The host placed them at a table toward the back of the restaurant. She waited for several minutes after their drinks and appetizers were served before she made her move.

Nyssa removed her glasses and stood from her table. She turned and casually walked back toward the group of men laughing and having a good lunch.

As she approached them, she smiled as she watched each of their faces change. The other three delegates looked at her with curiosity, wondering who was the woman coming toward them. Only one person had a different look.

Bakari's smile rapidly faded from his face and was replaced with his mouth falling open and his eyes bulging. He was definitely surprised to see her and not in a good way. His reactions only made her smile grow larger.

“Bakari Essam, how nice to see you again,” she said for a pleasant opening. When she received no response, she continued.

“How wonderful to see you too, Nyssa,” she said, speaking as though she were Bakari. “I was just telling these nice men how you saved my life.”

“Nyssa, what a surprise!” Bakari said in a shaky voice. “I did not know you were in London.”

“If you gentlemen would excuse us please, we have a few things to discuss.” Nyssa addressed the other men at the table.

Her smile faded and was replaced by a stern look that told them that it was not a request but an order. The delegates did not take kindly to be ordered away by a woman, but the gesture from Bakari convinced them to give them their privacy, for now. Once the men left the table, Nyssa sat in one of the vacated seats across from Bakari.

“Nyssa, it's been a long time. I heard you were blacklisted. I'm sorry for your loss, my friend,” he said.

“I'm gonna back in which is why I'm here. You still have contacts in both the NSA and CIA right?”

“I can’t help you with that.” Bakari feared where this conversation was going.

“We've known each other a long time, Bakari. A long time….” Nyssa emphasized that last statement for Bakari to resume his seat. “What if I were to go over and tell those guys how many operations you pulled inside their borders? Or, how about the bribes you took from their enemies?”

“Even you wouldn’t do that?” he looked worried.

“I'm hoping I don’t have to. If I hadn’t come along, you'd be one of those scary urban legends that diplomats tell around a camp fire. You owe me, Bakari.”

Bakari took a deep breath and glanced at his lunch companions just as Lucas entered the restaurant. Nyssa followed his gaze but stopped short when her eyes fell on Lucas. Luckily, he had not seen her yet. She turned back to Bakari while trying not to seem anxious.

“I need you to get me the memo authorizing my blacklist, I need an answer right now, and I'm going to need your car keys.”

“I'll make some calls,” he said handing his keys to her. “It will take a few days.”

“Thank you, Bakari.” She smiled. “I'll be in touch.” And, with that, Nyssa exited the table and quickly headed for the kitchen.

Lucas stood at the entrance, glancing around the restaurant until the host approached him. His eyes caught sight of Bakari at a table toward the back of the restaurant with his three companions who rejoined him. There was no sign of Nyssa.

“May I show you to a table, sir?” asked the host.

“No, I’m waiting for someone. I’ll have a vodka and take a seat outside.”

Lucas stepped outside and sat at the nearest empty table a few steps from the door. He pulled out his mobile and called Harry to report. Something did not seem right about all of this. Maybe Nyssa had already come, and he missed her? Maybe she was telling the truth, and it was just his usual paranoia? He had to admit that even though he strong intimate feelings for her, he still did not trust her. How could he ask her to trust him with everything when he could not trust her? No, she was up to something that morning, rushing out the door to avoid his inquires. He had to find her to get to the bottom of all this.

 _“Lucas, what did you find?”_ asked Harry.

“I’m at the restaurant, and Bakari Essam is having lunch with three other delegates. No sign of Nyssa, but I have a feeling I may have missed her. Do you want me to question Bakari?”

_“No, let him be for now. I already sent a surveillance team to the restaurant to watch his movements for the rest of the conference. If the shadow faction is watching, it may alert them that we are looking into this. We cannot let anyone know that we’re investigating this. We’ll get our information from Nyssa.”_

“Copy that!” Lucas hung up just as the server placed his drink on the table. Lucas paid the server for the drink and poured it down like a shot.

He walked back to his car and decided to go back to Nyssa’s flat and wait for her. There was nothing more he could do except wait.

While Lucas headed back to Nyssa’s flat, Lucy watched as the blue Honda became more aggressive toward her as they passed through the London traffic. Ben and Jo were trying to intercept her, maybe force her off the road. She knew a ‘snatch and grab’ operation when she saw it.

Lucy pushed the Indian to the max to get as far ahead as she could before Ben and Jo called for back-up. She had to get away from their visual long enough to discard the tracker. Once she felt she was at a safe distance, she stopped the Indian, dismounted, and pulled the tracker out from under the front fender.

Lucy resumed her ride and threw the tracker into the flat bed of a parked pickup. She pulled into a parking garage until she reached the third level. She parked at a safe area and watched as the blue Honda drove down the street and stopped by the pickup. Jo exited the vehicle and walked over toward the truck. She reached in and pulled out the tracker. She made a quick glance around the area before reaching into her coat pocket for her mobile.

 _“Jo, what have you got?”_ asked Ros.

“No sign of Lucy. We found the tracker in the back of a pickup. She could be anywhere by now,” Jo said as she continued to scan the area.

_“Let’s hope Lucas has more luck. Return to the grid. We’ll deal with Lucy later.”_

Lucy watched as Jo got into the Honda and drove away. She guessed that Marilyn’s house would be watched. It was time to visit one of her safe houses until she got the ‘all-clear’ message from Nyssa. She hoped that Nyssa was okay enough to give her that message.

 


	21. The Truth Comes Out

Jack arrived at Nyssa’s warehouse apartment just after Nyssa did. She had changed out of her sun dress disguise and back into a new pair of jeans and a sleeveless knit shirt. She was putting on her canvas shoes and grey cardigan just as Jack walked through the front door.

He had a worried, yet relieved look in his eyes when he came through the door and found that Nyssa was okay. He was not aware of what she and Lucy were planning that morning until Lucas called him looking for Nyssa. He could tell the MI-5 officer was not happy and knew that it involved Nyssa before Lucas said another word.

Why would she not tell him what was going on? They had been friends for a long time, worked on missions together and saved each other’s lives more than once. He knew she took risks to get the job done and skirted around authority when needed, but she would never blatantly disobey direct orders. Why was she so defiant when it came to Harry Pearce and MI-5?

“You look a little disheveled. What's wrong?” Nyssa asked.

“I just rang off with Lucas North. He's been looking for you all morning. Did you pull one of your usual tricks on MI-5 again today?” Jack walked toward the refrigerator and helped himself to a beer.

Nyssa finished tying her shoes, not looking up and ignoring Jack’s question.  Jack stood in the kitchen area staring at her, waiting for an answer. When he received none, he asked the question again?

“Nothing is going on that isn’t the usual thing,” she answered as she continued to stare at her shoes.

“Why won’t you let them help you? For that matter, why didn’t you come to me? We've been best mates for years. You used to talk to me.”

“We are friends, Jack. That’s why I can’t tell you anything. They turned to you for answers about me, and they threatened you by denying your pension, right?”

Jack could not deny that. She was right. They threatened him in the past if he did not work with them.

“I'm helping you by not including you in my personal operations. Keeping you in the dark gives you deniability. Besides, you know what my objectives are.”

“Why not let Lucas help you? The longer you play these games, the worse you make it for yourself.”

“Lucas will try and stop me. It's like he's trying to protect me all the time, but he won’t tell me from what. Both he and Harry know something about this blacklist, and they're hiding it from me. If I'm gonna catch these guys, I need to find them myself.”

“Alright, I hope you know what you’re doing.” Jack took a drink from his bottle before changing the subject. “So, what about our case with the con artist club manager? What are we gonna do about that?”

Nyssa explained her plan in detail about the role she wanted Jack to play. If Lucas was still on board with helping them, Jack would play Lucas' legal trustee with the McCormick estate. The objective is to get Zach to match his share of the investment in cash.

Nyssa was explaining her plan to Jack when Lucas arrived at the flat. He parked a block from the warehouse and got out of his car. He watched the flat for any signs of life before checking out the grounds. When he detected movement through the windows, he walked around the area looking for her motorcycle, but it was nowhere in sight. If it really was her that the team was chasing all over London, then the motorcycle would have been parked nearby.

He climbed up the stairs toward her door feeling his anger build with every step. The more he thought about the events that happened that morning, the more he wanted to grab her and shake her until she told him everything.

He pounded on the door when he reached the top step and waited when he heard voices and footsteps on the other side. The door opened, and Nyssa stood there looking like she was expecting him. She had changed into a different top and shoes since she left the apartment that morning.

“Afternoon, Lucas. Come inside before you kick my door down,” she said sarcastically and walked toward the kitchen leaving Lucas to close the door behind him.

Nyssa grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen while Jack sat in a chair in the far corner of the room with a beer. Lucas took a few steps into the room and stood with his arms crossed at his chest. He looked like a father cross with his children waiting for an explanation for her bad behavior.

Jack glanced at Nyssa before turning his head to Lucas then back to Nyssa. The two of them stared each other down like a Mexican standoff. Jack felt the awkward tension between them and decided to take his beer outside on the fire escape.

“You need to start talking. What were you doing this morning?” Lucas demanded in his dark baritone voice.

“I told you this morning. I had an errand to run.” Nyssa was still defiant.

“Really? Where is your motorcycle? I don’t see it outside.”

“Oh that! It’s at my mother’s house. I'm letting Lucy borrow it today,” Nyssa lied as she took another drink from the water bottle.

“Why are you letting her do that?” Lucas asked slowly stepping toward Nyssa.

“Because she’s my sister, and that’s her business. I should think the real question is why was there a GPS tracker on my Indian? Yeah, it was a surprise to me too. I would’ve never found it had my front tire not kicked up a rock and got lodged in the wheelbase.”

Nyssa watched as embarrassment washed over his face for a brief second. His eyes turned cold again as he looked straight at her. He walked closer to her until he was at arm's length.

“You got Jo to plant that thing when she came by my mother’s house? Why are you so hell bent on knowing every single little thing I do every day? What is it that you and Harry aren’t telling me?” she asked finally getting down to business.

“I'm trying to protect you, even if that means protecting you from yourself. I care about what happens to you, and I will do anything to keep you safe. And, if that means arresting you and locking you up in a cell to debrief you on what you've been up to, then so be it. I've been ordered to bring you to Thames House,” said Lucas as he closed the distance and placed his hand on her arm.

He was so close the smell of wildflowers from her hair permeated his nose. The memory of last night left him with feelings of guilt for treating her so forcefully now.

Nyssa tried to pull her arm from his grasp, but he anticipated that move and held on tightly. His aggressive behavior was finally getting to her emotionally.

“I didn’t ask for protection, Lucas. I didn’t ask to be dropped in the middle of London, abandoned by nearly everyone I know. I didn’t ask to be MI-5’s asset to be ordered to do whatever Harry Pearce wants. My family is being harassed, I am being watched, and whoever did this is leaving little clues to torment me. And, I don’t know really who to trust.”

Nyssa’s control was finally breaking as the tears began forming in her eyes. Lucas lessened his grip on her arm. His eyes softened a bit as he watched her fall apart under the emotional strain.

Lucas gently pulled her into a tender embrace to comfort her. This time she did not fight him. He caught her chin and raised her face to look into his eyes.

“Trust me. For once in your life, trust someone who wants to help you. Let me in, please.” It sounded more like a plea than an order.

At that moment, she closed her eyes and cried. Lucas held her while she sobbed in his shirt. She made no move to push him away. Instead she wrapped her arms around his chest and squeezed as tight as she could while she cried.

What was only a few minutes felt like an hour when Nyssa finally stopped crying and just stood there in Lucas' embrace. He did feel safe to her, like he was the only person on Earth to fight off the demons for her. Even her father could not do that for her back when he was her whole universe. So, why could she not open up to him and tell him everything?

“Sorry, but I'm out of beer,” said Jack from the back door to the fire escape.

The sound of Jack's voice reminded Nyssa that they were not alone. She quickly pushed away from Lucas' body. She turned away to hide her face while she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Lucas also turned away to give her a minute to pull herself together. He turned to face Jack.

“Sorry, mate. Could you give us another minute?” He asked.

Jack held up his hands in surrender and retreated back outside. Lucas turned to Nyssa who was still facing away from him. He waited a minute before he spoke his next words.

“I know what it's like, the feeling of abandonment like your country’s forgotten you,” he spoke to her in a soft voice, like a whisper. “Hours of torture in interrogation and weeks alone. After several months of that, I would crave the beatings just to know that someone else was there.”

Nyssa turned to him with her mouth open in astonishment. Her eyes were red and swollen from the crying. She listened intently as he continued with his story.

“I still have nightmares, but it seems they come less ever since I met you,” he grinned. “I do care for you, and I want to help you.”

“That's just it, Lucas. I care about you too, but whoever did this to me, has got a lot of power. And, I don’t want the people I lo…..my friends and family get hurt.”

Lucas started walking towards her, but she held up her hands to stop him. Again, her shield went up, and she was the old, distant Nyssa once more.

“Let's not talk about this right now. You said you have your orders to tale me to Thames House, so let's not keep Harry and His waiting.”

She moved toward the front door and switched her cardigan sweater for her leather jacket. Jack sensed that their conversation was over and re-emerged from the fire escape.

“So, I guess I'll phone you about our next caper later today?” asked Jack from the doorway.

“Yeah, I’m sure this won’t take long…..at least, not for Lucas,” Nyssa said as she glanced at Lucas before opening the front door to leave.

Lucas gave Jack a quick glance before following Nyssa out the door. There was an uncomfortable silence between them for the next 20 minutes until Nyssa could no longer stand it.

“So, how mad is Harry?” Nyssa asked while looking straight ahead.

“Pretty mad,” Lucas glanced sideways at her before turning his eyes back to the road. “Nyssa, if I'm going to protect you from Harry, you have to tell me. Who is Bakari Essam?”

Nyssa turned toward Lucas a little surprised that he knew about Bakari, but after Lucy's escapade through London, it would make sense that he would piece that much together. She waited a few seconds before she answered. Should she tell him everything and trust that he really would help her or take her chances with Harry?

“I told you before. Bakari is an old friend. I saved his life once, and for that, he is grateful.”

“By that, you mean that he owes you a favor?”

“What do you know about my situation with this blacklist?”

Lucas took a deep breath and let it out. She was like a persistent bulldog with a bone. Why won’t she let this go and just trust him?

Lucas pulled into the underground parking garage of Thames House and turned off the engine. He turned to Nyssa and stared into her eyes for a moment before he spoke.

“Nyssa, I know that I am asking a lot from you when I say that you really have to trust me,” he said. It almost sounded like he was pleading. “Try to understand that I can’t tell you anything right now, but please, trust me.”

“Then, I will ask you this. If I let you in, will you try to stop me?”

Lucas sighed and looked down as he thought about how to answer that. She was offering him a chance to finally gain her trust and be completely honest with him. But, he did not want to sit back and watch as she continued to put herself in harm's way.

“If you will let me help you, we can do this together. And, I don’t want you to say that you don’t want to see me get hurt because that is precisely how I feel about you. At least this way, we can watch each other’s back.” He grinned at his last statement which she returned.

“Ok. I agree,” said Nyssa. “When an agent is blacklisted, there is a procedure that goes through various chains of command. Only a person with top level clearance can authorize the agent’s blacklist. A memo with that person's name or numeric code would circulate throughout the different departments.”

“And, you are after the blacklist memo,” he said finishing the story.

“Bakari was an asset to the company. He still connections high up the food chain. He can locate that memo and get me a copy. With that memo, I can trace whoever started this.”

“How do you know this is not a trap?”

“Because I know Bakari, and he knows me. I know what he has done in the past, and he is well aware of what will happen if he crosses me.” Lucas remained unconvinced. “I know what I’m doing, Lucas.”

Nyssa opened the door and stepped out of the car. She turned around to look back at him before she closed the car door.

“Well, shall we go and see what interrogation torture techniques Harry has planned for me?” Nyssa smiled as Lucas got out of the car.

While Nyssa turned and headed toward the security office, Lucas smiled briefly to himself. Finally, she had opened up to him and was honest. After all this time, he punched through that barrier of hers. Now, he was faced with a new challenge. How to keep her safe!

 


	22. Coming Clean

By the time Lucas and Nyssa exited the pods, two security guards flanked Nyssa to escort her to one of the interrogation rooms. Lucas tried to object and block one of the guards from touching Nyssa, but Nyssa placed her hands on his shoulder to reassure him that she was fine. Nyssa followed the guards without question while Lucas headed straight for Harry's office.

“Harry, what the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?” Lucas demanded as he charged inside.

Connie was standing in front of Harry, who was seated behind his desk. Ros occupied one of the two chairs across from the desk. Harry closed a file on his desk and handed it to Connie. He motioned for Connie to close the door as she left them.

Once Connie had left the room, Harry pointed at the empty chair next to Ros. He suspected that he would get this type of reaction from Lucas knowing how he felt about Nyssa. He prepared his explanation before his officer arrived. He also made a mental note that he would also throw in a lecture on insubordination as well.

“Lucas, I know what you’re about to say…,” Harry began.

“She came in willingly, Harry. This is not necessary,” said Lucas rather heatedly.

“If she continues to go off on her own and keep vital intel from us, it was very necessary,” said Ros.

“Malcolm finished analyzing the transmitter that was found in Marilyn’s home,” said Harry before Lucas could lose his temper with Ros. “It is a Russian device quite commonly used by the FSB. If the Russians are involved then Nyssa may be in real danger.”

Lucas calmed down and focused on what Harry was saying. So many thoughts suddenly came to mind at the mention of the FSB. Could those men that Nyssa said were at the house be FSB? Or, maybe Elizabeta unwittingly alerted them to Nyssa residing in London. Either way, a wave of fear for Nyssa was building inside him.

“I have a meeting with Elizabeta in the morning. She's supposed to tell me what the FSB knows about Nyssa,” said Lucas.

“Do you trust Elizabeta?” asked Harry. Lucas nodded.

“I trust that she told them exactly what I told her to say, but that alone may have alerted them, Harry.”

The worry began to show on Lucas' face. Ros and Harry exchanged looks, and Ros thought it was best to proceed to the next question with caution.

“Did Nyssa tell you anything about why she switched places with her sister this morning?” asked Ros.

“She was going to meet with Bakari Essam. He's an old friend with CIA connections. She wants him to obtain a copy of the memo authorizing her blacklist. She thinks it might lead her to a name.”

“And, do you believe her? Considering she has disobeyed orders and lied to us repeatedly,” said Ros. Her dislike of Nyssa was evident in her tone.

“This time, she is telling the truth,” Lucas said in frustration. “She's beginning to trust me, Harry. As long as we work together on this operation, she will share any intelligence that she uncovers. This way, I can keep an eye on her.”

But, Harry was not convinced. Lucas' name was also on that list that they retrieved from Marlin's memory stick. He would be putting them both at risk if he sent Lucas into the field with Nyssa to dig further into this blacklist. He just could not agree to such a deal, no matter how better it would be to have an ex-CIA operative working with them. Nyssa had resources that even he could not fathom.

“For now, let her believe that you are working with her until she gets that memo, but do not tell her what we know,” ordered Harry.

Lucas did not like lying to her again after working so hard to gain her trust, but he had very little choice in the matter. At least, he and Nyssa had a lead of their own. Marilyn met those men who bugged her house. They could trace who was behind all of this through them.

Lucas reluctantly agreed to Harry's decision before the three of them left the office. Lucas was ordered to stay behind while Harry and Ros spoke to Nyssa on their own. If she told them what she told Lucas, Harry would release her but have a surveillance team watch her every move.

Nyssa was taken to a room with grey walls and a white tile floor. There was a metal table in the center with three metal chairs, two on one side and a third facing the opposite. The room was dark except for a single florescent ceiling light illuminating the table and chairs.

Nyssa was ordered to sit in the single chair and wait until her interviewer, the security officer called him, arrived. Nyssa smiled to herself and sat down without resistance.

It was at least twenty minutes of staring at the four darkened walls until the door opened, and Harry and Ros walked in. They took the empty chairs at the table facing Nyssa. Harry had a single file folder in his hand.

“Nyssa, you’ve been very busy this morning,” said Ros in a smirking tone.

“Ever the charmer, Ros,” said Nyssa sarcastically. “You seem stressed out. You need to relax, maybe get a boyfriend and get laid once in a while.”

Ros' face went from a smirking smile to a hard stare as Harry intervened before these two mountains cats started scratching each other. Nyssa leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms waiting for the lecture to begin.

“Where were you this morning?” Harry asked in a low voice.

Nyssa thought about lying but decided against it. She knew that Lucas told them what she said while she was locked in the interrogation room. How much he told them was the mystery. She would have to be careful what details she left out.

“I went to see an old friend,” she answered.

Harry opened the folder and produced a photograph whereas he slid it on the table toward Nyssa. It was a close up of Bakari Essam standing in front of the Savoy.

“Do you know this man?” Harry asked.

 Nyssa looked at the photo but stayed composed. She gave nothing away to Harry and Ros.

“I have a question for you,” she said changing the subject. “What were you doing this morning? I thought the surveillance on Nyssa McBride had ended when I signed your Secrets Act.”

“You and your sister violated our agreement. Our deal changed the moment you began keeping secrets from me,” said Harry. His anger became clear in his tone. “Now, I will ask you again, and for your sake, you had better tell me the truth. Do you know this man?”

Without looking at the photo again, Nyssa chose to stare directly into Harry's eyes. She kept calm, even though her own temper was slipping.

“Yes.” She took a breath. “He is an old friend of mine.”

After she answered his question, Harry also took a long breath and leaned back in his chair. He dropped his eyes for a moment before he resumed his questioning. He felt like he was finally getting somewhere with her.

“What was your business with him? Take great care how you answer that question. My patience is wearing thin,” he said.

“What I do in my personal life is my business, not yours, Harry,” she said defiantly.

“Everything you do, Nyssa, is our business. I am giving you this one chance to be honest and work with us. I promise you, it will not come around again.”

Nyssa was stoic for a moment before speaking again. She stared defiantly at Ros and Harry deciding what to do. She hated being ordered around and really detested being threatened, but she was not the only one they would go after if she did not cooperate. She had Lucy to think about.

“If you are meddling into your blacklist case, it has to stop now, or I will have you arrested along with your sister,” said Harry.

“Why are you trying to stop me, Harry? What are keeping from me?” she demanded as she leaned forward across the table.

“We’re done!” Harry said to Ros as he gathered up the photograph and stood from his chair with Ros following along. He turned back toward Nyssa before walking away from the table.

“When we find your sister, the two of you will be escorted to a cell where you will wait for your American authorities to extradite you back to your country to face charges.”

He turned and headed for the door with Ros taking one last look at Nyssa before following her boss. When Harry got to the door, Nyssa called him back. The pair stopped and turned toward her.

“I'm sure Lucas already told you what I was doing this morning, or you wouldn’t give up so easily,” she said, still seated in her chair with her arms crossed.

“Why do you think I have given up?” Harry slowly walked back into the light.

“You know me too well to know that a simple threat like that might work on cop shows but not on me. You still need me because whatever it is that you aren’t telling me is still out there. I am the key to your little puzzle, and you won’t let me go without using me to help you solve it.”

There was a moment of silence between them before she continued.

“Okay, you win this one. I was looking into my blacklist by asking Bakari to get some information for me. That's all I have at the moment, so call off your hunting party and leave Lucy alone.”

“Stop looking into this case, and I will consider it. The surveillance stays until I feel I can trust you. Do not make any attempts to escape them again.”

With that, Harry turned on his heels and both of them left the room. Harry wanted to let Nyssa sit in there for at least a few more hours before he released her. He wanted her where he could watch her until the surveillance was in place.

“An arrogant little pain in the ass,” said Ros as she and Harry headed down the hallway toward Harry's office.

“Maybe, Ros, but she’s right. The only way we can find anything on this shadow faction is by using her to draw them out.”

“Then why not let her follow her own leads?”

“Her actions might provoke them. Remember that Lucas’ name was on that list too. Whatever plans they have, I want to try and stay one step ahead of them. Make them come to us.”

“And, Lucas? Given his relationship with Nyssa, do you still trust him?” asked Ros.

Harry knew where this was going, and he knew that Ros had a problem trusting Lucas to do his job when it came to Nyssa. She felt he had a blind spot.

Ros' issues were not directed at Lucas personally but at Nyssa. She feared that Nyssa was corrupting their officer. She could see it in his eyes every time he looked at Nyssa. It was the same look she saw in herself when she looked at Adam.

Ros knew Lucas was falling for Nyssa, but did Nyssa feel the same way? Or, was Nyssa using him, playing him for a fool?

“Lucas may have emotional ties to this woman, but I trust his loyalty to the service. He is right about her trusting him. Whatever intel he gets from her, he will tell us. That is how we can control her,” said Harry.

Lucas was uncomfortable with the idea of Harry and Ros interrogating Nyssa like a criminal. He hoped that given the state that his boss and section chief were in, Nyssa would finally cooperate and tell them what they wanted to know. Yet, given what he knew of Nyssa’s stubborn personality that was a shot in the dark.

When Harry and Ros came back from the interrogation room, Lucas confronted them about what was to happen to Nyssa. Harry told him that the round-the-clock surveillance would resume as a punishment for sending them on a wild chase that morning. In addition, Lucas was to remain by her side to find out the name on the blacklist memo and any other secrets she might be keeping from them.

For now, Nyssa was to stay as their ‘guest’ while the surveillance team was setting up. At least, Lucas felt somewhat relieved that she would be safe. With Nyssa under the watchful eye of the service, Lucas was free to put the plan regarding Zach, the con artist, in motion.

Lucas left Harry's office and pulled his mobile from his pocket to dial Jack's number. He would go back to his flat and redress into his rich playboy character to meet with Zach at the club.

“Jack, it’s Lucas. Nyssa is fine and safe. I'm phoning about another matter. Are you up for a drink at a club?”


	23. A New Direction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the slow update. I have been working nonstop for the past two weeks getting our Christmas show up and running. Now that we have opened, I can resume with my writing. Reviews are always welcome. I love hearing from all of you and thank you for your patience.

Lucas drove back to his flat to meet with Jack. With Nyssa temporarily being held at Thames House, he could focus completely on their side operation, getting Zach to reveal where he was hiding the money.

Jack entered Lucas' flat grumbling about dressing in a suit. He was never the office type and preferred combat duty over a desk job for a reason. Lucas smiled to himself as he left Jack in the living room to fetch his jacket. Nyssa's friends were beginning to grow on him.

Working on this job with Nyssa gave Lucas the chance to observe how Nyssa and her team operated. It was like a dance with each member performing their part in perfect rhythm. They knew exactly what they were doing, and they trusted each other to watch their backs.

While Lucas was retrieving his jacket from his bedroom, Jack asked about Nyssa. He knew that despite Nyssa's habit of constantly getting into trouble, she would come out unscathed in the end. But, that did not stop his inner anxiety he always felt for his best friend.

"Your boss isn't too brassed off, is he? Nyssa can be a bit…well, you know." He smiled.

Lucas understood all too well about Nyssa's personality. He had never met anyone more stubborn. How did the CIA ever allow her to run her operations this way? If he did not know any better, he would have guessed that she angered enough superiors who forced her into early retirement.

"She may have tried what little patience Harry has, but she's fine. She will be a guest at Thames House for the remainder of the afternoon. That will give us time to finish this job."

"Tried his patience….." Jack smiled again. "Not bloody likely, mate. That's a nice way of saying that it took all his strength to keep from killing her."

"I've never met a woman who refuses to follow orders and puts herself in harm's way for an operation. It can't always be about trust." Lucas sounded more like he was asking a question than making a statement.

"When I was in the army and working operations with her, she was always looking after the team. When we lost some good people on compromised jobs, she took their deaths to heart. She cares more about the innocent people of this world than you know. It wasn't just a job to her."

Lucas took a moment to reflect on what Jack told him. He could see that in Nyssa. When they were talking with Danny's mother Karen, Lucas could see the compassion that Nyssa had for this woman's problem. The more he learned about Nyssa's character, the more it helped him understand her.

Jack's complaints about his tie being too tight brought Lucas back to the present, and the two men set off to meet Zach at the club. It was mid-afternoon when Lucas pulled up in the Aston Martin. He parked in front of the club and was greeted by Zach personally. As true to his character, Lucas started for the door leaving Jack to follow behind.

Once the three men entered the club, Lucas quickly glanced around. The place was very different from the last time he was there. The club had not yet opened for the evening, so the room was practically vacant. The main dance hall was much larger than perceived when crowded with people. It was still dark with the blue and gold lighting which made it difficult to see.

Instead of escorting the two men into the back room, Zach directed Lucas and Jack toward one of the tables in the dance hall near the bar. He already had a champagne bottle and glasses sitting at the table.

"Zach, this is my pain in the ass lawyer who handles all my finances, Mr. Thomas Brady," said Lucas as he motioned to Jack behind him.

Jack smiled and extended his hand to Zach who greeted Jack with a grand smile of his own. Jack could tell that the club manager was very eager to close the deal and get his hands on the money.

"I see you have the champagne ready to go," said Lucas in his New York accent. He gestured at the bottle and glasses on the table.

"No harm in being prepared," said Zach.

"Then I will leave you two to discuss the details of the deal while I serve myself something a little stronger than champagne. A nice straight vodka will do just fine."

Lucas slapped Zach on the back and walked over to the back of the bar. He picked up a bottle and began reading the label while Jack moved closer to Zach. Jack leaned toward Zach to prevent Lucas from overhearing the conversation.

"Mr. Pollard, I don't know how familiar you are with Mr. McCormick's reputation. David McCormick can be a rather difficult person. Do you understand who you are getting into financial bed with, sir?" Jack stated with a very prestigious London accent.

"I understand, and I am willing to take the risk," said Zach.

"Well, sir, don't say that I did not warn you." Jack stepped back, and the two men took their seats at the table facing each other.

"Now, as I explained to Mr. McCormick, we are offering an opportunity to invest into a groundbreaking business. All he will need to do is to supply the startup capital of £200,000," said Zach.

"That sounds possible. What are you funding in this venture?"

"Well, not cash at the moment, but I have expertise and knowledge in the business and management skills."

"Oh, I see," Jack said as he sighed and dropped his eyes to the table. He seemed quite unconvinced.

"I don't share in the same profit percentage as Mr. McCormick," Zach said trying to salvage the deal. "By investing into the entertainment club in Havana from the beginning…."

"Wait….. Did you say Havana?" asked Jack.

"Of course."

Jack immediately grabbed his briefcase from the floor and stood from the table. Zach watched with both surprise and horror as Jack walked past him toward the door. Jack stopped and turned before leaving.

"I am afraid I cannot in good conscience sign for any kind of business venture in Cuba. Good day, gentlemen." Jack turned again and left the club.

Lucas watched as Jack walked away and turned his gaze toward Zach who rushed to the bar, unhappy with the way the deal went.

"I don't believe we have a deal," Zach said to Lucas.

Lucas became angry and threw the glass he held at a stack of bottles behind him.

"Son of a bitch," he said before turning back to Zach. "Let me talk to him. I'll convince him even if I have to drag his ass back in here to sign off on it. I'll be in touch."

Lucas stomped past Zach and left the club. He saw Jack standing next to the car waiting for Lucas to come out.

"Brady," shouted Lucas. "You and I are going to have a little talk."

"Mr. McCormick, I cannot discuss this at the moment. Let's go back to the office. You know your father would not approve of such a risky venture."

"Oh, we'll discuss it. Get in the car, NOW."

Lucas walked around to the driver's side of the car while Jack opened the passenger side and climbed in. The Aston Martin sped out into the street leaving tire burns in the asphalt in front of the club.

When Lucas was out of sight of Zach and the club, he dropped the speed and relaxed a little more in the seat. Jack loosened his tie and smiled. So far, the plan was still on track.

They did not expect Zach to show them the money right away, but they could see that he was desperate to close the scam. Jack and Lucas would work a good cop-bad cop scenario where one person said no while the other said yes, but the only way to get both parties to agree would be to provide the matching funds.

The problem was that it all depended on Zach and his greed. If it meant that to close the deal, he would need to produce actual cash to prove how far he was willing to play this, he would do it. It would take a little time. Lucas and Jack hoped that they had enough time to spare.

Jack dropped Lucas off at his flat to change back into his normal clothes. While he was there, he received a text message from Nyssa asking him to come to her place. There was a problem with Zach and the job.

Lucas arrived at the flat and noticed the surveillance van parked across the street. He ignored it and continued toward the stairs. He assumed that Harry was true to his word and resumed surveillance on Nyssa like he said.

He reached the door and opened it. As he entered the apartment, he saw that Jack and Danny were also there. Jack was seated in a chair facing the group with a beer in his hand. He had changed out of his suit as quickly as he could and into his very casual attire.

Nyssa gave Lucas a slight grin as he closed the door and walked toward the group. Danny looked like he wanted to crawl out of his skin.

"How did it go this afternoon?" she asked Lucas as he came closer to her.

"Zach may need more convincing. He was still adamant about not investing actual cash into this deal," said Lucas.

"Well, you may have done better than you thought, but his partners are the ones that will be the problem. After I came back from my afternoon appointment, I listened to the bug in the office," said Nyssa emphasizing 'afternoon appointment' which was caught by everyone in the room except Danny.

"I recorded a little conversation he had with his partners. It seems that they were also listening in to your little meeting from the office." Nyssa pushed play on the digital recorder she wired to Jack's phone.

 _"...I only need the money for one day. This bloke is hooked. Don't you understand?"_ demanded Zach.

 _"...That's not how we do it._ _Get the wanker to the house, and we'll finish it._ _Otherwise,_ _cut him loose,"_ said one of his partners.

Nyssa stopped the recorder and turned back to the other men. This piece of news felt like a set back after all the work they did getting that far. Danny began to get fearful that they would not be able to recover the money.

"It sounds like Zach's partners have veto power," said Nyssa.

"This is a nightmare. Mikhailov wants his money in 24 hours. How are we going to get it?" said Danny nearly hysterical.

"Danny, calm down. None of us expected them to show the money at first. They are very careful con artists. They just need a little more convincing," said Jack.

"Zach is the weak link. He is more than ready to deal. We can turn him. We just need to convince him that David McCormick may have some powerful partners as well," said Lucas.

The rest of them looked at him in confusion until Lucas explained to them his plan on how to scare Zach into giving them the cash. It was a good plan, but it would require time to set up and a matching £200,000. Since Lucas knew that Harry would never sanction giving them that much cash for an operation like this, Nyssa said that she knew someone who could help with that.

Nyssa could not help but be impressed by Lucas' enthusiasm of the job. She would probably describe him as having too much fun and wondered if she may have created a monster. The thought made her smile.

"But, Mikhailov wants the money tomorrow," said Danny, again.

Nyssa had already pulled out her mobile and began dialing a number. Since her last encounter with Mikhailov, Nyssa managed to find a contact number in case she needed it.

"I'll try and buy us some more time," she said to the group.

 _"Mikhailov,"_ said the raspy voice on the other line.

"I just wanted to update you on our progress. We're getting you your money. We just need 48 hours," said Nyssa.

 _"That can be arranged. However, there is_ _one person with me who_ _does not share my patience. Tell Danny that his mother_ _is very anxious and wants to go home."_

Nyssa smiled at the group, turned her back and took a few steps away from them so Danny could not hear the rest. Lucas and Jack were curious at her behavior while Danny was unaware.

"Listen to me very carefully," said Nyssa in a whispered tone. "If you touch that woman in any way, I will come down on you so fast you won't know what happened until it's over. I have lots of friends and resources. You don't want to do this."

_"Give me my money, and we never have to find out."_

The call went dead after that.

 


	24. The Hurrah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone out there think that Lucas is having too much fun with this heist? I often wonder that as I write these chapters. What do you think?

Nyssa turned around to face the group with a smile on her face. Danny did not notice anything wrong, but both Lucas and Jack could tell the smile looked forced. Something was very wrong.

  
“Is everything okay?” Danny asked after a few seconds of silence.

  
“It’s fine. We'll get the money back in time,” she said, but the other two men knew that she was only trying to keep him calm.

  
Jack pulled Danny aside to distract him while Lucas quietly pulled Nyssa away to talk to her. The moment they were out of earshot, Nyssa told Lucas about Mikhailov holding Karen hostage until they paid him back the money.

  
“This has become too dangerous, Nyssa. We have to call the police,” he said, but Nyssa shook her head.

  
“We'll lose too much time explaining what happened, and the police can’t organize a rescue mission in time. You know as well as I do that we are the rescue mission,” Nyssa explained emphasizing the word ‘we'.

  
Lucas sighed and glanced toward Danny and Jack. He knew that Nyssa was right, but now they were racing against the clock. Would they be able to put their plan in motion in that amount of time? It would have to be done by that afternoon. Where were they going to get the money to help pull off this heist?

  
Lucas was very vocal about his concerns, but Nyssa assured him that she had that part of the plan under control.

  
“You just worry about convincing Zach that it’s in his best interest to show you the hidden cash. Let me worry about getting the money. My only concern is that your plan requires a third person, and in case you haven't noticed, my babysitters are parked across the street.”

  
“You have no one to blame for that,” he said.

  
“Yes, I know,” she said sarcastically. “It’s just that you will need Lucy’s help, and I don’t feel comfortable bringing her out of hiding. Can you promise me that she's safe to come out?”

  
“You know where she is?”

  
“Of course I do.” Nyssa smiled. “She and I have a way of taking care of each other, and I don’t want Harry using her as leverage against me.”

  
Lucas took a deep breath and let it out in frustration. He wanted to say something in defense of Harry, but he knew how the game was played. He knew that Harry was that ruthless at times, and so did she. He also knew how fiercely protective she was of her family. In order to retain her trust and cooperation, he would have to find a way to protect Lucy as well.

  
“Okay. I'll make sure that she isn’t arrested for your little prank this morning. Have your sister get in touch with Jack. He will tell her the plan. The minute you get the money together, I'll set up a meeting with Zach,” Lucas said.

  
Nyssa nodded in agreement and smiled. She resisted the urge to reach up and touch his cheek and settled for placing her hand gently on his chest. A sudden feeling of warmth spread through her as she stared into his blue eyes for a moment. She wanted so badly to kiss him, but she knew that would be awkward with Jack and Danny in the room.

  
“Jack, I need to talk to you in private for a minute,” she said as she pulled herself away from Lucas and motioned for Jack to follow her toward the fire escape.

  
Once they were outside and out of earshot, Nyssa filled Jack in on Karen’s abduction and Lucy hiding from MI-5. She gave Jack the assignment of finding her money laundering asset, Barry, and get his help collecting £200,000 for the setup.

  
“Why am I doing that?” he asked in confusion.

  
“Because, I am under surveillance again.” Nyssa pointed to the van at the end of the street. “Do you see the surveillance truck parked down there? That’s my punishment for taking MI-5 on a tour of the city this morning. I can’t have them following me and risk exposing Barry to them.”

  
“Aren’t you worried that they bugged your flat?”

  
“I swept the place for bugs before you got here, and I have a few tricks of my own to make sure we’re not heard.”

  
Nyssa pointed to a hand-held electric messager taped to the window next to the door. It was turned on causing the glass to slightly vibrate. Jack looked at her in confusion until she smiled and explained that it was for any laser optical bugs.

  
Nyssa left Jack alone to call Barry and set up a meeting while she went inside to prepare Danny for the news about his mother. Barry agreed to meet at a pub near Soho. Barry knew Nyssa’s close knit group of friends and trusted only half of them. Lucky for Jack, he was in the trusted group.

  
When Jack arrived at the pub, he saw Barry had taken a booth at the far side of the room and seated facing the main door. Jack was a few minutes late making sure that Harry's surveillance team was not also following him before he made his appointment.

  
Jack walked straight toward Barry and took a seat next to him with his back facing the far wall. He also wanted to angle himself in order to see the door.

  
“So, am I to guess that Nyssa has a bit of trouble? Is that why you’re here to see me and not her?” asked Barry in his London accent.

  
“She has a bug problem, but she's handling it. We need your help on another matter,” said Jack.

  
“About that…. You know I'm very good, but even I can’t make £200,000 exist just like that.” Barry snapped his fingers to help prove his point.

  
“Who says that it has to exist? You're brilliant when it comes to making electronic money appear and disappear at will.”

  
Jack knew that pleading to Barry's ego always managed to work when it came to dealing with him. Barry smiled at the compliment and nodded in agreement.

  
“Well, I suppose I can transfer the money from an account that’s closed, but I have to send it to several relay stations and times zones just to keep my fingerprints from it. And, some bank manager will see it and pull the money before you do anything with it.”

  
“We only need it for a few minutes. How much time do we have before somebody catches the mistake?”

  
“Seven minutes….maybe.”

  
“Can you make it ten?” asked Jack.

  
“You sound like Nyssa McBride. Anyone else, I'd give them two. I'll do my best,” said Barry.

  
Jack smiled and shook Barry's hand. When the details were settled, Jack rose from the table. He handed Barry two £20 notes for lunch and left the pub. He pulled his mobile from his coat pocket and contacted Lucas to fill him in on what to do.

  
Lucas made a call to Zach to finish the deal. He said that he managed to get the money together from an account in Zurich and could make a wire transfer. Zach was more than happy to invite him to his house in Surrey to complete the deal. With the meeting in place, Nyssa coordinated with Jack and Lucy to be there, and for Lucy to bring along a few extra provisions for the game.

  
Everything was set. Lucas went home to his flat to change and pick up the Aston Martin for one final go. He was going to miss that car. There was always something about driving an expensive sports car like that to boost any man’s ego. Also, it was just an incredibly sweet ride.

  
Lucas pulled into the driveway just as Zach opened the electric gate to let him in. Zach stood just outside of the main doorway and waved as Lucas parked the car and walked toward him. Both men had large grins on their faces when they greeted one another. Zach held out his hand then motioned for Lucas to step inside.

  
“I am pleased that you phoned me to finish the deal. I was beginning to think that your friend, Thomas Brady, made all of the decisions,” said Zach as he led Lucas into the main sitting room.

  
“I don’t see Brady as a part of my financial future,” said Lucas.

  
Lucas walked straight to the crystal decanter and poured himself a drink while Zach uploaded the computer banking website on his laptop. Lucas pulled out his mobile and dialed the number that Jack told him to call.

  
“This is David McCormick,” Lucas said to the person on the other line. “I need you to transfer £200,000 into an account.”

  
Zach turned the laptop around for Lucas to read out the account number. Once he was done, Lucas hung up the mobile and waited until the transfer was complete. Zach turned to Lucas and smiled. He picked up his mobile from the coffee table.

  
“Let's celebrate with a little party. I'll phone Nyssa to come and bring her sister. Which do you prefer? The blond or the brunette?”

  
Lucas took a drink from his glass and entertained a brief thought of strangling Zach while he sat on his couch. He smiled and took a deep breath to rein in his anger before he spoke.

  
“What do you think? I'll take them both.” He smiled. He was going to enjoy turning the screws on this guy.

  
Zach smiled and dialed a number on the phone. He waited a few minutes before he said anything.

  
“Sweetheart, it’s Zach. I’m hosting a party at my home. Come around and bring your sister. I promise you, it will be fun.”

  
Zach leaned back in his chair with a smile. Lucas offered him a drink while they waited for the women to show.

  
Suddenly, several shots were heard from outside of the house. Zach jumped up from the couch and ran past Lucas toward the front window. His jaw dropped, and his eyes grew big in horror as he watched two people spray a navy blue Ford with gunfire. The car exploded a few seconds later in the street. Several of the neighbors came running out of their homes to see what had happened.

  
“Yes, I see it. I see the explosion,” said Lucas as he walked toward the window next to Zach. He appeared to be speaking to someone on his mobile. “Yes, I'm closing the deal now. You'll get your cut. Good job, fellas.”

  
Lucas hung up the phone as Zach stumbled back into the sitting room looking sick. He turned to Lucas who was eerily calm.

  
“What happened?” Zach asked in a shaky voice.

  
“Those are my new partners. A couple of ex-Army Rangers, real bad asses,” said Lucas as he walked back into the sitting room.

  
“What did you do?” asked Zach in near hysteria.

  
“Where did you think I got my money? Brody has my trust tied up in knots. I cut those boys in to watch our backs and a good thing, too. You had a couple of Scotland Yard officers watching the house.”

  
“They killed them?”

  
“Nothing will get in the way of this deal….. Nothing!” Lucas smiled.

  
“No...... No…… The deal is off. I can’t be a part of this.” Zach shut the laptop and started grabbing his keys and mobile from the coffee table.

  
This man was insane. He had just killed Zach’s partners. What was he going to do? Call the police? All Zach could think about was getting out of that house. To hell with the money.

  
As he started to stand up, Lucas pushed him back down in anger and kept poking a finger in his chest as he spoke. Zach became paralyzed with fear as he stared into those cold blue eyes.

  
“You are not backing out,” Lucas yelled. “You promised me a thousand percent return on the investment. That’s what I promised them. They want their money. NOW!”

  
“I can give them back what you gave me. I don’t have that kind of money here.”

  
“Those boys will not accept what they put in. You’re in a lot of trouble, Zach. You better find the cash now.”

  
Lucas downed the last of the whiskey and slammed the glass on the coffee table. He stood over Zach looking intimidating and waited for an answer until Zach finally agreed. The club manager was practically in tears begging for his life as he rushed out the door with Lucas right behind him.

  
Their next stop was the club. Zach only hoped that there was enough money left in storage to get these murdering psychos off his back.


	25. One Down, Two Missions To Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My characters seem to get themselves into the worst messes. Now, the story is getting interesting!

While Lucas was inside the house finalizing the 'deal' with Zach, Jack and Lucy watched the two men parked across the street in a navy blue Ford. Lucy recognized them as Zach’s business partners from the club. They were dressed like police officers on a stakeout.

After ten minutes of waiting, the two men received a mobile call. Jack and Lucy assumed that was the call from Zach signaling for his partners to give Lucas the 'brush-off'.

While Zach's partners were distracted with the phone call, Jack and Lucy got into position on each side of the car flanking the two men. Lucy brought along some fire power thanks to her contacts in the illegal gun trade.

“Alright,” said one of the men after he hung up the mobile. “He's ready for us. Let's get this done.”

The man reached for the keys to start the engine when Jack appeared in the window of the car. He held up a police badge while Lucy was standing at the other side of the car with an automatic AR-15.

“Scotland Yard, gentlemen. Please step out of the car immediately,” Jack ordered them with a smile.

The two men looked over at Lucy who was also smiling while holding up her AR-15. That was enough to convince them to open their doors and climb out. Once they were out of the car, Jack zip tied their hands behind their backs and dropped them several meters away from their car.

Once they were in a safe zone, Lucy gave Jack the AR-15 and watched as he had quite a time making the Ford look like Swiss cheese. Before the gunfire started, Lucy placed a small brick of explosives near the petrol tank. When Jack’s shooting hit the tank, it triggered the explosives and blew the car into pieces.

Jack and Lucy left the two men crawling away from the wreckage and climbed back into their own car. They waited until they saw Lucas exit the house with a frantic Zach stumbling into the Aston Martin.

“Lucas is a dead man if he lets that twat vomit in that car,” said Jack as they pulled into the street to follow Lucas.

Lucas drove Zach back to the club very quickly with Zach constantly looking around as though he was convinced that psycho killers where following them. Luckily, he did not notice Jack and Lucy in the dark sedan behind them.

Once Lucas pulled up in front of the club, Zach fumbled with the door to try and get out. He stumbled out of the car and fell on all fours while Lucas came around and pulled Zach to his feet. He nearly pushed Zach ahead as the two men walked into the club.

Zach led Lucas toward the bar in the main dance hall. There were decorative curtains covering the wall behind the bar. Lucas pushed back the curtains in the center of the wall to expose a hidden wall safe.

_So, that’s where it was the entire time._

After Zach opened the safe, he pulled out a ruck sack from underneath the bar and began filling it with the real cash that was in the safe. He did it with such urgency that some of the money fell to the floor. Lucas watched every move he made in case Zach suddenly had an attack of courage and pulled out a gun.

When the safe was clean, Zach closed the ruck sack and turned to Lucas. His eyes filled with fear.

“That's all of it. £243,000. Do you think they'll come back for more?” he asked in a shaky voice.

“You had better hope not,” said Lucas as he gripped the ruck sack in his hands and walked defiantly out of the club.

When he exited the club, Lucas spotted Zach and Lucy parked just behind his car. He nodded to them as he walked toward the passenger side of the Aston Martin to place the money in the front seat. He closed the door and walked around to climb in and drove away with Jack and Lucy following behind.

Nyssa got the confirmation call from Lucas that they were on their way to Danny’s house with the money. She made a call to Mikhailov to bring Karen back to the house unharmed if he wanted to see his money again.

While Lucas, Jack, and Lucy were playing their roles in the caper, Nyssa had the unhappy job of explaining to Danny what had happened to his mother. It was not easy keeping Danny calm. He was a basket of nerves by the time Lucas and the team arrived with the money.

Everyone gathered into the living room to await the arrival of Mikhailov with Karen. The Russian loan shark arrived ten minutes later and parked in front of the house. The team along with Danny, ran out of the house to meet them.

Karen was pulled out of the back of the sedan by one of Mikhailov’s thugs. She pushed him aside and ran into her son’s arms. Nyssa and Lucas walked over toward Mikhailov with Lucas carrying the bag of money.

“Let me talk to him,” Nyssa said placing her hand on Lucas' arm to stop him from going further. “I have a personal message I want to convey to him. Let him know how much I appreciate him looking after Karen for us.”

At first, Lucas was a little confused by her actions, but the look in her eyes told him exactly what she meant. It was the same thoughts he had for himself. He smiled and passed the bag to her. He watched as she confidently continued on the path toward the Russian loan shark, but stayed rooted where he was in case there was any more trouble.

“As promised, here is your £200,000, minus your usual percentage of interest,” she said with a smile. She passed the bag to Mikhailov to open it and examine the contents.

“Where's the rest of it?” Mikhailov said in frustration.

“Consider it a compensation fee for our work in getting it back to you. I would call it a gentle reminder for you to never go near this family again because we will be watching. Now, get out of here.”

Mikhailov glanced over at Lucas and the rest of the crew and saw that they meant business. Lucas casually pulled back his coat to show his .9mm tucked safely in his belt.

Mikhailov abandoned his previous thoughts and decided to settle for the payment. He threw the bag in the boot of the car and told his men that they were leaving. Someday, when he ever crossed paths with her again, he would find a way to get his revenge.

Nyssa turned on her heels and walked back toward Lucas as soon as the Russians left the scene. The couple returned to the house where Danny and Karen showed that they were beyond grateful.

“Thank you so very much,” Karen said hugging Nyssa. “I don’t know how we can repay you for your troubles.”

Nyssa glanced at her team before she suggested the last part of the plan. When Lucas arrived at the house, he told the team exactly how much money he recovered. It was a team decision, despite some grumbling, that they would take the £43,000 from the payment and give it to Danny and Karen. When Nyssa presented the idea to Karen, she nearly cried.

“We know that this won’t cover all your bills, but it might help,” she said as Karen pulled her into another bear hug.

“Thank you so much,” Karen said.

Lucas handed Danny the bag and shook his hand.

“The next time you borrow money, go to a bank,” he said with a smile.

Jack said his farewells and left the group to find the nearest pub to unwind. As Nyssa was busy talking to Karen and Danny, Lucas pulled Lucy aside to discuss a few things about Nyssa.

“I made a promise to Nyssa to protect you both from Harry, but if you ever pull another stunt like you did this morning, Harry will have you put in prison. I can’t help you if you don’t trust me,” he said in a whispered tone.

“Trust you,” she said smiling mockingly. “I never trust a Brit. I learned that a long time ago. It’s too bad my sister never did.”

Lucy leaned forward and jabbed her finger in his chest as she spoke.

“I care a great deal about my sister, and I will protect her from anything and anyone who tries to hurt her. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Perfectly.” Lucas smiled.

“Good. Now that we understand each other, I will take my leave. Don’t make me regret not shooting you when I had the chance.”

Lucy smiled and walked away leaving Lucas to glare at her. It was not going to be easy turning Lucy and making her work to help him keep Nyssa in line. Lucy did not like him, but she tolerated him for the sake of her sister. The two women were fierce when it came to protecting each other. Perhaps, he could use that, convincing Lucy that it was in her sister’s best interest. But, that was a mission for another time.

Lucy said her goodbyes to Nyssa and left the house through the back garden. Nyssa assured her that with this new agreement she had with Harry, Lucy was still under her protection. But, Lucy was aware of the surveillance van down the street and decided not to take any chances. She told Nyssa that she was laying low for a few days until she was certain that it was safe to come out.

Nyssa smiled and nodded in agreement. Maybe it was best for Lucy to stay hidden for a while. She watched her sister go and felt that it was time for Danny and Karen to have some time to themselves. Besides, she was getting tired of the espionage game and wanted to go home.

Nyssa and Lucas left the house together and stood along the sidewalk reflecting on closing their first case together. Nyssa had thought about marching across the street to her mother’s house and resuming her conversation they had over a week ago, but it was getting late in the day. She needed a break from the spy work for a night.

“It’s been a long day for the both of us,” she said looking up into those blue eyes that she loved so much.

“Yes, it has. How about I treat you to dinner? You’ll be in my custody, so you can take a break from the surveillance,” he said as he quietly motioned to the van and smiled.

“That would be nice, but I’ll take a rain check this evening. I really am tired. I’m going home to take a long hot shower, and a cup of strawberry yogurt, and read a novel. I promise I won’t plot any more secret missions tonight.” She smiled.

Lucas smiled and raised his hand to caress her cheek. At that moment, he realized that he loved her. Her safety was so important to him, that he would do anything to protect her.

He leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips. She closed her eyes and responded while wrapping her arms around his neck. Lucas moved his hands to her waist and pulled her close while they kissed. After a few seconds they broke the kiss and stared at each other’s eyes. The world seemed to stop moving until the sound of the traffic on the street brought them back to the reality of the moment.

Lucas walked Nyssa toward her motorcycle that Lucy left at the corner and kissed her goodbye once more before hailing a cab to take him back to Thames House. Jack took the Aston Martin when he left, and Lucas’ own car was parked in the parking garage on the grid.

Lucas was reluctant to say goodnight to Nyssa, but he had his own secret mission to attend to. He needed to meet with Elizabeta in the morning, and he had to keep that a secret from Nyssa. Elizabeta contacted him earlier and said that she had the information he requested about Nyssa. She sounded concerned and arranged to meet at Highgate Cemetery. It was their first meeting place after he returned from Russia and was playing the role of a double agent for the FSB.

As Lucas was climbing into the cab, he took one last look at Nyssa as she merged into the traffic and rode away. Once she was out of sight, he saw the surveillance van also pull into traffic to follow her. He would check in with the team later to see how she was doing. He trusted that they were very aware of her tricks, and besides, he had a few tricks of his own.

He pulled out his mobile and checked that the GPS tracker he slipped in her coat pocket was working. If she deviated from her course, he would know about it. He knew that she would find it eventually, and he would deal with her temper when the time came. But, for now, she was safe.

The next morning came without any incident. Lucas checked in with the surveillance team and received a quiet report. Nyssa did go home as she said and had not left yet. The tracker on his mobile seemed to coincide with their report.

Lucas smiled as he checked his watch and walked towards the shower. He had to meet Elizabeta in an hour. He had to hurry if he was going to make that meeting.

Highgate cemetery was a large, quiet secluded area with many trees for privacy between the mourner and passed loved one. It was also a rather popular meeting place for spies.

When Lucas returned to England as an asset for the FSB, he had no idea that his handler was his ex-wife. It was such a shock to see her walking toward him that he felt a little sick in the stomach. It even made him angry that her involvement with the service was kept a secret from him all of those years until he discovered that Kechimov only recruited her as an incentive to control him.

Now, he only felt guilt that he unknowingly dragged her into this life. He damned Kechimov time and again for using her. If he knew where the man was he would kill him just for that alone, but he had no idea where Harry stashed him.

Knowing how Harry felt about Adam, Lucas suspected that Kechimov was no longer alive. He did not care enough to investigate that theory. As far as he was concerned, the world was better off.

But, now MI-5 was using her. It pained him to think that she was an innocent person getting hurt by the very job he devoted his life to. He was not naïve that innocent people sometimes get caught in the crosshairs of operations. It was all for the greater good, but this was someone he cared about. It was different.

Lucas was the first to arrive at the meeting place in the center of the cemetery. He did not have to wait long before he saw Elizabeta walking down the pathway toward him. She looked very tired, no different from the last time he saw her. She was carrying a rather thick file under her arm. He assumed it was the file the FSB had on Nyssa.

“I have the file on Nyssa McBride that you asked for,” said Elizabeta as she passed the file to Lucas. “It was hard not to answer too many questions about it. When I mentioned her name, it was like talking about a ghost.”

Lucas opened the file and briefly scanned over the pages picking out key words, reading very quickly. He knew that with a file like that, her superiors would miss it.

Some of the operations were high-level, top secret. He even recognized a few of them, the outcome of these missions were crucial intelligence gathering tools. The defection of a prominent nuclear scientist, the stolen plans for a new high-tech spy drone, the capture of a Russian assassin after attempting to kill a U.N. ambassador, the Russians suspected Nyssa of master mining all of them.

“There is talk of capturing her alive. If she is in London, she may be in great danger,” said Elizabeta.

The words capture and danger brought Lucas out of his thoughts. He stared at Elizabeta with growing anxiety.

“The FSB has been in contact with a secret group that says that they can deliver her alive. It seems that she knows something of an operation that is extremely important to the Russians. This secret group wants to sell her to the Russians.”

“And, they told you this? Why? What are they planning?” he asked afraid of what the answer would be.

“This secret group told the FSB that they think that you know where to find her. I have been ordered to tell you to find her and bring her to them, or they will kill you.”

 


	26. The Pakistani Consulate Affair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to say ahead of time that I know nothing about what the Pakistani Consulate in London looks like inside, so this is purely fictional. Besides, who would really pull off something like this?
> 
> Also, reviews are very welcome. I'd love to hear from you.

Lucas tried to control his emotions about Nyssa. He did not want to reveal anything to Elizabeta about his personal involvement with Nyssa. If the Russians were after Nyssa, the less Elizabeta knew about her, the better.

  
“You said that a secret group is in contact with the FSB. Who are they?” he asked fearing that he knew what the answer would be.

  
“I don’t know. The men they spoke to were American. They said that a trap has been set for this woman. She will be theirs by this afternoon. If their plan fails, the FSB wants you to bring her to them.”

  
Suddenly, Lucas remembered the operation at the Pakistani consulate. The plan was for Nyssa to go into the consulate and copy the Pakistani computer files on her own. Was that the trap that Elizabeta was talking about? Was the discovery of the memory stick that Marlin had in his pocket a ruse? 

  
Lucas handed the files back to Elizabeta and pulled his mobile out of his pocket. He turned back to Elizabeta with grave concern. 

  
“Go back to the FSB and tell them that MI-5 is looking into a Russian operation that she took part in years ago. You don’t know anything more.”

  
“Lucas….,” she called out as he turned to head back toward his car.

  
“I have to go, Elizabeta. Please, don’t ask me any questions. It's better if you don’t know,” he said holding up his hand to stop her. 

  
Without waiting for a response, Lucas nearly ran to his car, leaving Elizabeta very confused. He dialed Harry's number while his other hand fumbled for the keys in his pocket.

  
 _"This is Harry Pearce..... Leave a message,"_ said the recorded voice on the other line.

  
Lucas hung up the phone in frustration. He pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked his car. There was no time. It was nearly noon, and the operation had already begun.

  
Fear and guilt shot through Lucas the more he thought about it. He was the one who found that memory stick that set the whole plan into motion. He had to get back to the grid and stop the operation before it was too late.

  
While Lucas raced back to Thames House, the team was gathered at their various stations to monitor Nyssa's progress from the grid. They watched from the computer monitor as Nyssa walked casually toward the High Commission of Pakistan. 

  
She wore a cream-colored blouse with a tan fitted business jacket and skirt that was just above her knees. Thanks to Lucy, she also wore a pair of cream colored high heels that matched the blouse. She carried a UK Times newspaper and a steno-pad. Nyssa wore a pair of dark rimmed glasses with her hair pulled back at her temples. She looked very different than normal, very business oriented.

  
Nyssa had one addition to her wardrobe that was especially unique. Malcolm had installed a micro-camera in the bridge of her glasses, so that the team could watch the entire operation in live feed. He also gave Nyssa one of their ear comms and audio bugs, so she could communicate and receive Malcolm’s instructions as well.

  
“Okay, Malcolm, I’m walking into the consulate now. Are you with me?” she asked.

  
 _"Yes,"_  replied Malcolm from his station on the grid. _"The signal from the camera in your glasses is still strong. We can see everything that you're seeing right now."_

  
Both Ros and Harry were gathered around Malcolm’s station watching as the operation unfolded. Malcolm gave Nyssa the glasses and the comm link as a precaution in case she needed anything from him. Outside of that, she was on her own. 

  
Harry had ordered the surveillance team and his own crew to stand down no matter what happened inside that building. This was suppose to be a purely deniable operation. MI-5 could not be a part of any of it, not even to rescue Nyssa and Jack if things were to go horribly wrong.

  
Jack had already been in the consulate for nearly an hour. When she entered the building, she saw that he was still in the queue line with three other people in front of him waiting their turns. He was also dressed in a business casual wear with a manila folder that contained nearly 50 pages of documents cradled under his arm. He was constantly rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, checking his watch every five minutes. He glanced around the room looking like a desperate man with very little patience.  


Jack caught Nyssa out of the corner of his eye but tried to ignore her. Both he and Nyssa coordinated the time to carry out this mission at the busiest time of the day, 12.00 noon. 

  
Consulates were a great way to do business while overseas. Immigrants working abroad could pay their taxes or renew their visas at their foreign consulates. Nyssa knew that most of the people in the room chose to do their business while on their lunch breaks which was why it was so busy. It was the perfect distraction that she needed to try and gain access to one of the offices in the back.

  
That was where Jack came in. He was the distraction. Nyssa pushed her way through the queue crowd, making sure that Jack saw her in order to point her out to the rest of the frustrated individuals tired of waiting in the lines. Jack mumbled and complained, under his breath at first, then became more vocal.

  
Nyssa ignored him and made her way to the front reception desk making sure that the receptionist knew that she too was fuming.

  
“Julia Carter from the UK Times,” she said in her proper British accent. “My editor was suppose to ring you about my appointment?"

  
“I am sorry, but I have no Julia Carter on the appointment list,” said the young girl speaking perfect English but with a slight Kurdish accent.

  
“Of course, leave it to the men to bollocks everything,” she said presumably to herself.

  
Harry cleared his throat at that comment, while Malcolm frowned at his monitor. Ros remained neutral while Jo smiled to herself as she monitored Nyssa’s progress from another terminal. Connie monitored the radio frequencies for any alerts if the operation were to go South.

  
Nyssa turned back to the receptionist and continued with her cover story.

  
“I'm writing a story on foreign trade in Pakistan, and I need visas for myself and my editor. I need them right away, so call your superior right now to help me.”

  
Nyssa knew that low-level consulate employees were terrified of angry journalists. She knew that there was no better way to gain access rather quickly than to display her grave displeasure at the system.

  
While Nyssa waited for the receptionist to return, Jack was getting very vocal about his own frustration at the system. Nyssa glanced over at Jack who, by now, was throwing his arms up in the air waving his papers around yelling about who he had to sleep with to get service. A slight smile played across her lips but quickly went away when a consulate official with salt and pepper hair emerged from another doorway with the receptionist following behind him.

  
“Miss Carter?” said the official as he smiled and extended his hand to Nyssa. “I am so sorry for the wait. Please, come with me.”

  
The official led Nyssa through the door into a hallway of various offices. Nyssa could still hear Jack's voice through the closed door as he turned very obnoxious and annoying.

  
“You must be dealing with that quite often these days,” she said to the official referring to Jack's little tirade.

  
“Oh, that is nothing,” the official said leading Nyssa through the maze of hallways.

  
“I heard that it is getting harder for businesses to deal with Pakistan,” Nyssa said casually just to ruffle his feathers.

  
The official’s demeanor turned a bit sour but still maintained his smile as he motioned for Nyssa to take a seat in a smaller waiting room while he took care of his own business.

Nyssa complied and watched as the official walked toward a closed office door across the room and knocked. A slightly younger man opened the door and stepped out into the hallway to talk to the official. Both men spoke Arabic in hushed tones before they turned and headed for the main lobby. 

  
There was no doubt that the other man was the head of security going to take care of the commotion that Jack was causing in the lobby. The first part of Nyssa’s plan had worked. Now, she had to get into that room without being seen.

  
Luckily, she did not see any security cameras in the area where she was. She did a quick double-take just to be sure. If she were seen going into that office now, she would be caught before she even got to the computer.

  
Nyssa casually entered the office and quietly closed the door behind her. The office had three solid walls with only a single window looking out toward the city. No one would be able to see her, which was very convenient for what she was about to do.

  
“Okay, Malcolm,” she whispered into her comm-link. “I'm in the office. What's next?”

  
_"Turn on the computer and plug in the memory stick into a USB port once the hard drive is ready. Once you do that, you will have two minutes before security discovers the connection and traces it to the source."_

  
The computer laptop was on a desk angled in a corner at the far side of the room. The desk faced the doorway, so Nyssa could work and stay attentive to any sounds of people in the hallway.

  
Nyssa waited until the computer displayed the login window before she plugged in the memory stick to the USB port. She watched as the program connected the computer to Malcolm's terminal at the grid. Malcolm immediately began a password decoder to unlock the files.

  
The cursor suddenly came to life and within seconds, the password was inserted and the computer was unlocked. It did not take Malcolm very long to find the proper files and start copying them to his own terminal.

  
Everything was going as planned, yet Nyssa still felt uneasy. It felt a little too easy to sneak into this office to do the hacking.

  
A faint sound of people at the end of the hallway pulled Nyssa’s attention away from the computer. The commotion was getting louder. Nyssa froze for a moment to listen. When the voices tripled in number, she quickly ran to the door to have a look.

  
She opened the door a crack to see the office workers exiting their offices while four security guards searched through each room. The head of security along with a suited individual stood in the hallway coordinating the search with a third party from their hand-held radios.

  
“Malcolm, something’s wrong. Security is already in the hallway checking offices. You said I had two minutes before they'd find the hack,” she said through her comm-link.

  
 _"Security had already been alerted. Someone must have told them. Nyssa, I'm so sorry,"_  said Malcolm with heavy regret in his voice. _"I'm afraid you're trapped."_  



	27. A Narrow Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for my slow update. I left everyone hanging over a cliff in the last chapter. I never intended to take this long in updating. Now that I am on my winter break, I can concentrate more on my writing and finish this story. I am only a couple of chapters from putting this one to bed and starting the next one. I would like to feature Jo more for all the Jo fans out there.
> 
> On a side note: I struggled with how to get Nyssa out of predicament, so I came up with this scenario. Please don't try this at home. Enjoy the chapter, and I would really love to know what you think.

Harry and the team of Section D watched intently as Nyssa conned her way into the offices of the Pakistani Consulate. He could not help but be impressed by her abilities. The irritated reporter idea was hers as well as using Jack as a decoy, a very clever ruse to say the least.

Nyssa managed to 'convince' the delegate to escort her into the back offices. Everything was going as planned and ahead of schedule. It was easier than they anticipated.

While Nyssa entered the head of security’s private office, Ros' mobile rang from her desk. She left the group to take the call. Ros saw that it was Lucas calling and remembered that he was supposed to meet with Elizabeta that morning.

“Lucas, what's wrong?” she asked while glancing at the team around Malcolm’s station.

 _"Ros, you have to stop the operation. It's a trap!"_  said Lucas sounding very anxious.

“What? Slow down, Lucas. What are you talking about?” Ros could hear the panic in Lucas' voice. Something did not feel right.

_"The Pakistani consulate, Ros. It's a trap. Abort the mission. Get Nyssa out of there."_

Before Ros could ask for more details, Connie announced that they had a big problem. The Pakistani security was already alerted to Nyssa’s position, but how could that be? Nyssa barely had time to insert the memory stick into the computer. Ros put Lucas on hold and returned to Malcolm’s station for an update.

“What’s happening?” she asked over Harry’s shoulder.

“Pakistani security is searching the offices. They know that there's a breach,” answered Malcolm.

 _"Malcolm, what's wrong?"_  asked Nyssa over the comm-link. _"Security's already checking the offices. You said that I would have two minutes before they discovered the hack."_

“Security had already been alerted,” he said with a heavy heart. “Someone must have told them. Nyssa, I'm sorry. I’m afraid you’re trapped.”

The entire team seemed to be holding their collective breaths when Malcolm announced Nyssa’s fate. She and Jack were in there alone, and there was nothing that Harry could do without risking a foreign relations nightmare.

 _"Ros, what's happening?"_  shouted Lucas through the phone.

“Lucas, we need _you_ back on the grid,” she ordered.

 _"What about Nyssa? What's happened that you're not tell me, Ros?"_  demanded Lucas.

For a split second, Ros was about to explain the situation but decided against it. She did not want to explain over the mobile in case there might be other people listening. Also, Lucas sounded like he was on the edge. His feelings for Nyssa was overriding his better judgment. He needed to be here to assess the situation himself.

Harry overheard Ros' conversation and knew that she was speaking to Lucas. He suddenly had a plan and rushed toward Ros in the hopes to catch Lucas before they rang off. He ordered Ros to hand him the mobile while Malcolm still remained in contact with Nyssa. It was a plan created on the fly and no guarantee that it would work, but he was not about to accept what seemed inevitable without trying something.

“Lucas, delay that order and head to the Pakistani consulate. I need you to wait a block from the building and don’t try to go inside yourself. Whoever alerted the Pakistanis are obviously watching everything. If you get caught, we'll have a foreign relations nightmare on our hands,” demanded Harry.

As much as Lucas wanted to protest, he agreed and drove straight toward the consulate under Harry's orders. Harry returned the mobile to Ros and turned toward the others. Malcolm was still at his computer with everyone at their own stations waiting for Harry to tell them how they could help.

“Nyssa, is there a way you can escape from that office without anyone seeing you?” Harry asked through the comm-link.

 _"Yes....with a little help from Malcom,"_  Nyssa answered.

Apparently, Nyssa had a similar idea. While the rest of the team exchanged confused looks, Harry smiled while he outlined his plan in a nutshell.

Nyssa could not have picked a better time to execute this operation. The consulate was full of people. If she could find a way back into the lobby, she could blend in with the crowd and escape.

While Harry was explaining his plan, Nyssa locked the door of the office to buy her some time. She turned back and rushed toward the other side of the room and moved behind the desk.

Nyssa had another plan for getting out of the office unseen. It was risky and hard to pull off, but thankfully, getting out of tight messes were her specialty.

Nyssa took a quick look around the ceiling. To most people, their first thought would be to crawl through the air ducts of a building to escape. That usually worked in movies like Die Hard, but if the person was older than four, the chances of fitting into the modern air ducts would be slim to none. Nyssa preferred the sub-ceiling in cases like this. The risky part of her plan was being careful not to step in the wrong place, or she would punch a hole through the ceiling tiles and possibly fall through. Also, climbing around in the sub-ceiling of the Pakistani consulate was not what she expected to do when she dressed in a fitted skirt for this mission.

“Malcolm, are you still logged into the computer systems?” she asked as she pulled a chair toward the corner of the room.

_"Yes, but I don't see...."_

“The security alarm systems. I need you to hack into them and set off the fire alarm. While everybody’s leaving the building, I can make my way to the nearest bathroom and go out with the crowd. Send me the quickest route to the bathroom.”

 _"How will you get past the guards?"_  asked Harry.

“I’m going to disappear.” 

The door knob clicked several times indicating that the door was locked. The guards had reached the office. Nyssa had only a few seconds before someone on the other side produced a key to open the door. Nyssa stared at the door and held her breath. When the clicking sound stopped, she reached for the memory stick but not before signaling to Malcolm to hit the alarm.

Suddenly, the florescent lights in the office dimmed, and the red fire alarm turned on along with that loud, obnoxious, screeching sound. It sounded like the Red Alert signal on Star Trek. Nyssa smiled and unplugged the memory stick from the computer before taking off her shoes and climbing up onto the chair. She pushed one of the ceiling tiles loose and hoisted herself up. Nyssa slid the ceiling tile back into place just as the office door opened, and the two office managers stepped inside with one of the guards.

Nyssa froze in her spot waiting to see if the men in the room had fallen for her little ruse. The supervisor and the head of security stood at the doorway and looked around quickly while the guards were moving people to the nearest stairway. Nyssa held her breath and waited, listening to the commotion below. 

At the urgency of the guards, the two men turned and started walking with the group toward the stairs. It was then that Malcolm decided to update Nyssa on the progress of the evacuation and urged her to get moving if she wanted to use the crowd as cover.

It was a slight murmuring sound in the ceiling, but it was enough for the security supervisor to turn back toward his office and take a second look. He quickly noticed that his chair was not where he had it when he left it. His eyes drifted from the chair to the ceiling then back to his chair. He would have investigated further if it were not for the guard urging him to join the others. He turned and closed his office door before he left.

Nyssa let out her long-held breath and started to move in the direction that Jo sent her on her mobile. Just as she predicted, it was difficult crawling around the tight spaces with her mobile in one hand and her shoes in another. She grumbled to herself as she inched across the tiles and frames.

_Why is it every mission I take ends up being more difficult than it needs to be?_

She finally reached her destination and moved a section of the tile away to see exactly in the bathroom that she was positioned. Nyssa was relieved that she found herself hovering over a stall with the toilet right below her. She carefully lowered herself down until her feet found the seat.  
 _Thank God the seat was down._

Nyssa threw her shoes to the floor and climbed down from the toilet. She stepped out of the stall, giving more thanks that no one else was in there, and slipped her shoes back on her feet while assessing her appearance. Her casual dress clothes were now covered in dirt and insulation lint. Anyone taking a closer look would wonder where the hell she was. She prayed that she would find a long coat she that could snatch on the way to the lobby to cover herself. 

She retrieved the memory stick from her pocket and flushed it down the toilet before heading toward the door. If she did get caught, she did not want any technology on her person that could be traced back to MI-5. The chip in her glasses would have to be dealt with later. 

Nyssa left the bathroom and hurried around the corners through the hallways until she was a few steps from the stairway. She started moving forward until the clicking sound of a hammer in a gun cocking stopped her in her tracks. She felt deflated like all the air left her body. Her hope of escaping diminished.

“Don’t move, Ms. Carter. I don’t want to kill you before my friends have a chat with you,” said the voice behind her.

“Is it alright if I turn around?” Nyssa asked keeping her London accent.

Without waiting for an answer, Nyssa held up her hands in a surrender and slowly turned on her heels to face her captor. The man in front of her was the security supervisor. He heard the sounds in the ceiling and noticed the small traces of tile dust on the chair before he left his office. He suspected that the perpetrator escaped through the sub-ceiling, so he doubled back and found her exiting the bathroom covered in dust.

The man was quite pleased with himself. Thoughts of a more cushy assignment invaded his mind as he assessed his prisoner. There was an opening at the embassy in America, Miami perhaps. That was a dream place to go where it was sunny most of the time, warm tropical climate, and beach front property.

He was too busy dreaming of his reward before enacting the proper protocols to secure Nyssa. He did not notice Jack quietly sneaking up behind him. Before the man could make a move, Jack hit him from behind with a stapler that he picked up from a nearby cubicle. The supervisor crumbled to the floor unconscious.

Nyssa lowered her arms and smiled. Jack had slipped away from the crowd of people in the lobby when the alarm went off and followed Jo's directions to the bathroom where Nyssa was located. Nyssa could always rely on her team when she got into these kinds of scrapes.

“He'll feel that when he wakes up,” said Jack referring to the human pile on the floor in front of him.

“Yeah, and he won’t be happy either. Let's go before he takes it out on us,” Nyssa said as Jack turned and started leading the way he came in.

She grabbed the gun from the supervisor and a black coat off of a coat rack by the door to another stairway. Jack led the way back to the lobby where the last of the consulate workers were exiting the building. Both she and Jack casually exited the building with the rest of the crowd. So far, no one paid any attention to them.

 _"Nyssa, Lucas is waiting in a silver Lexus a block from the consulate. Walk to the car and get in,"_  instructed Malcolm.

“You got it!” 

Nyssa and Jack found the car with Lucas waiting in the driver's seat. She opened the front passenger door while Jack slid into the back seat. Once they climbed inside and drove away, everyone relaxed.

It was a very narrow escape. Nyssa was too relieved to be out there to be angry. She wanted to save that emotion for later. There was going to be a big staff meeting when they returned to the grid, and Nyssa was going to get answers, even if it meant knocking a few heads around to get them.


	28. The Wrap-up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am only 2 chapters from finishing and starting a third. For all the Jo fans out there, I will be featuring her more in the next one. Hope you like this one. It wasn't my best, but it worked to add more clues to the mystery and to help move things along.

The drive back to the grid gave Nyssa enough time to recover from her anxiety of nearly getting caught by the Pakistanis and replace that emotion with anger. The problem was who was she going to blame for this. How in the world did the Pakistani security know that she was trying to hack into their computers? They were searching the offices even before she plugged in the memory stick to their PCs. It was a set-up, clear and simple.

The three of them said nothing on the way back to Thames House. There was too much to process all at once. Both Lucas and Jack were thinking the same thing that crossed Nyssa’s mind. Who told the Pakistani consulate about the operation? Lucas was the only one in that car that had a clue, but he had to keep it a secret from Nyssa and her team. This mysterious faction had now proven how dangerous they really were. How was he going to keep her safe when he had no idea who the enemy really was? Harry had a lot of explaining to do for all three of them.

Lucas pulled into the underground parking of Thames House, and Nyssa was out of the car the moment he turned off the engine and unlocked the doors. She did not even wait for the two men to exit the car before she marched straight toward the security office. Lucas and Jack had to rush to catch up to her.

By the time the pods reached the floor of Section D, Nyssa practically stomped toward Harry’s office ignoring all of the surprised looks on the faces of the team. Harry looked up as Nyssa, Lucas, and Jack marched directly towards his office door. All three of them had angry expressions, but none so much as Nyssa. Ros saw them as they exited the pods and rushed forward to intercept before they went inside.

“Get out of my way, Ros. Harry has a lot of explaining to do,” said Nyssa leading the charge.

“You and your friend, Jack, need to take a moment and calm yourself. We’ll debrief the both of you in the conference room,” she said with her hand up to stop them. “Lucas, we need to speak with you first.”

"Oh, no you don’t. You don’t get to dismiss me like I’m a child. I just risked my ass to get you that information from the consulate, and I almost got busted for it. I want to know what’s going on,” Nyssa demanded. She was determined not to be pushed aside this time.

“You will get your questions answered in a moment.” Ros stood her ground as the two women squared off.

Lucas stepped in between to keep them from attacking one another. Their confrontation was already drawing a crowd, and the last thing they needed was a physical fight on the grid. 

Harry emerged from his office and watched the scene unfold before his eyes. He understood why everyone was upset, but without the facts, he could not give them any more information at that moment. He still had to piece together exactly what happened with Ros and Lucas, and then assess how much he was going to tell Nyssa. The safety of his team was what mattered the most to him right now.

“Nyssa, go to the conference room with Jack. I will meet you there,” said Lucas.

Nyssa did not like being ordered anywhere, and Lucas could see that expression prominently on her face. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her fully toward him. His voice was stern, but his eyes were more pleading. Nyssa backed off slightly, but this was far from over as she was concerned.

"Whatever you, Ros, and Harry are keeping from me, I will find out,” she whispered only to Lucas. “This is not over.”

Nyssa turned on her heels and walked past them toward Connie. Jack stayed rooted where he was with his arms across his chest. He would not be so easily persuaded as Nyssa.

“Jack….,” Lucas began to say, hoping his friend would get the message without having to explain it.

Jack was as still as a statue pondering in his mind what he wanted to say to them. He was just as angry as Nyssa and would have joined her in a revolt against Harry and his team. But, he took a breath and decided against it. An all out fight right now would not do any of them any good. Even Nyssa knew that. 

While keeping his eyes locked on Lucas and his arms crossed he slowly turned and followed Nyssa and Connie to the conference room. Lucas watched them until they were out of sight before turning to face Harry.

“Into my office…..both of you,” he said to both Ros and Lucas before he turned and walked away.

Lucas entered with Ros behind him. She closed the door then took her seat along with Lucas to face Harry across from his desk. Harry sat down at his chair and let out a sigh of relief. The operation took a lot out of him physically.

“Obviously, this did not go quite as planned. Lucas, report what you know,” he ordered.

“Elizabeta said that an American group approached the FSB and told them that they knew where to find Nyssa McBride. The Russians want her alive. Something about some intel she has on an operation that is very valuable to them. Elizabeta said that this mysterious group had set a trap for her and they were planning to deliver her to the FSB by this afternoon. The Pakistani Consulate was a ruse, Harry. The memory stick was bait for us to send her in. She was supposed to get caught.”

"How would this faction know that we would be sending her in?” Harry asked.

“They must have a mole. They have been one step ahead of us every time,” said Ros.

“I can’t imagine a member of our own team feeding them information about us. Maybe someone within Nyssa’s own inner circle?” Harry pondered the question.

"Possibly,” said Ros.

“In that case, it is vital that we keep the news of this shadow faction to ourselves. No one, not even Nyssa and her team are to know about it until we find out who we are up against, and what their endgame is,” said Harry.

As much as Lucas detested lying to Nyssa after he worked so hard to gain her trust, he could not help but agree. Harry was right. Nyssa may think that she knows her team well enough to be trusted, but what about her own CIA? What if her contacts with the organization had a mole? The only way to keep her safe was to keep her in the dark. 

There was also another problem he had to deal with which made finding these people extremely important. This mysterious faction had put him in personal danger with the FSB by informing them that he knew where to find Nyssa. They were jeopardizing his cover by forcing him to choose between self-preservation and Nyssa’s life. He was about to tell Harry but kept that information to himself. Harry would pull Lucas out and put both of them under protective services. He worked too hard to bring these people down, and he was not about to stop now. In that way, he knew exactly how Nyssa felt. 

“What will we tell Nyssa?” asked Lucas.

“We tell her the truth that we do not have enough information on how the Pakistanis knew that she was hacking into their computers. We do not tell her about the faction,” said Harry.

“Lucas, you said that Elizabeta told you that the people who contacted the FSB were American? It is quite possible that the CIA are involved. It makes that Blacklist memo our only lead,” said Ros.

Harry nodded his head in agreement. Ros had a point. Lucas would need to stay close to Nyssa not just to protect her but to get his hands on that Blacklist memo. 

“We will step up surveillance on Nyssa for her protection. Stay close to her, Lucas, and keep working with her until she gets her Blacklist memo from Bakari Essam. Once that is done, I don’t want her anywhere near this case.”

With the three of them in agreement, Harry led the group out of his office and headed toward the conference room. He mentally prepared for Nyssa to be uncooperative and hostile before he even entered the room. Harry opened the sliding doors and saw Nyssa had seated herself at the other end of the table with her arms crossed and a frown upon her face. Jack was pacing the floor behind her with his hands on his hips. His manner mirrored hers. When Harry and his team entered the room, Jack stopped pacing, and Nyssa stared directly at them.

Harry took his usual seat at the head of the table while Ros took the seat to his left. Lucas sat in the chair beside Ros with Malcolm, Connie, and Jo filling the seats to Harry’s right. Ben took the seat next to Lucas with Jack reluctantly taking the last seat next to Nyssa’s right. Nyssa made no move to uncross her arms or look at anyone else in the room. Her eyes were glued to Harry. Everyone could see that Nyssa and Jack were angry. The tension in that room was very thick.

“As you know, the operation was compromised, but nevertheless, Nyssa and Jack managed to complete the file transfer and escape the consulate,” Harry said to start the meeting. “Malcolm, were you able to access the files?”

“Yes, most of the information is encrypted, but I will sort through the files and have an assessment by tomorrow.”

“And, has there been any chatter about whether or not the Pakistanis traced the computer hacking back to us?” asked Ros.

“So far, there has been no alerts. The police bands are clear, and no one has been able to identify Nyssa,” said Connie.

“At least, that puts you guys in the clear,” said Nyssa. “However, none of that answers the big question. How did they know what I was doing in there?”

"We are still trying to piece it together, Nyssa,” answered Harry. “The important thing is that both you and Jack are safe.”

“Are we, Harry? Or, is this just a prelude to something bigger?” Nyssa asked.

The question hung in the air like a bad smell. It was a strange question that took nearly everyone by surprise. Only Harry, Ros, and Lucas knew what she was hinting at, and Harry had hoped that the subject would not come up. 

“Let’s just hope the next operation will run more according to plan.”

Before Nyssa could question him further, Harry dismissed his team but asked for Nyssa and Lucas to stay behind. Jack was hesitant to leave the room but decided to follow the others and wait for Nyssa at the pods.

“Nyssa, we are still monitoring radio and mobile communications to see if the Pakistanis know who infiltrated their consulate. I want you to stay in a secure safe house until we are certain that you are out of danger.” It was a flimsy excuse, but Harry was not about to tell her the real reason.

“No, I’m not going anywhere. You know I’m not leaving my mother and sister out there unprotected. I’ll be fine,” Nyssa protested.

“Let her stay with me, Harry,” interrupted Lucas. “I’ll make sure she’s safe, and she will be free to see to her family’s safety as well.”

Harry was about to say no, but changed his mind. It was a far better idea. Nyssa trusted Lucas which made it easier for Lucas to keep an eye on her. Plus, he could make sure she did not continue digging into her Blacklist case any more than necessary.

“Alright, Lucas, I’ll authorize her to stay with you for a few days until we can sort this out.” Harry turned to Nyssa with a more stern expression. “Nyssa, you will not question my reasoning in front of my team again. Am I understood?”

Nyssa slowly nodded her head in agreement, but her face did not change. She still held her defiant attitude, proving to him that his intimidation tactics did not scare her.

Harry left the room with Nyssa and Lucas standing alone. They looked at each other, taking in all that was said just now. Nyssa averted her eyes and stared at the floor for a few seconds. She took a deep breath before she looked up again. Before any of them could say anything, Nyssa’s mobile rang. She recognized the number as Bakari Essam.

_Saved by the bell!_

She answered the phone as she took a few steps toward the door then stopped. Bakari had a copy of her Blacklist memo and was ready to meet. They rang off, and she turned toward Lucas with the news.

_Thank God something has gone right today!_

“That was Bakari. He wants to meet. He has a copy of the Blacklist memo. Lucas, I know how you feel about this, but I have to meet him. He won’t give it to anyone but me,” she practically pleaded.

“Alright, I’ll drive you over there and wait in the car,” he said finally giving in.

“I was going to my mother’s house today to talk to her about the two men at her house last week,” she said looking for an excuse to see Bakari alone.

Lucas knew all too well what she was doing. He did not like the idea, but finally getting information about the men at Marilyn’s house was just as important. It was another lead to finding this mystery faction. He conceded the high ground and let her have way, just this once.

“I’ll stop by and visit your mum. Maybe she’ll tell me what we need to know. As soon as you’re done, you phone me. I’ll meet you at my flat.” He moved closer to her and whispered so only she could hear.

"Okay, I promise I’ll be safe and share everything I get from him. I have to go by my place anyway to pick up some clothes. Just make sure Harry’s surveillance team takes a break when I meet with Bakari. I am too close to have everything slip away now because they scared him away.”

“I can’t promise, but I will talk to him before I go.”

Nyssa smiled and took Lucas’ hand. She gave it a quick squeeze before she left the room to meet with Jack. Lucas watched her walk further down the hallway and hoped that she would stay safe. She was finally trusting him, but could he find it in himself to do the same with her? He stopped in Harry’s office to tell him about the meeting but kept a few details to himself. He knew that Harry would object to Nyssa meeting Bakari by herself, but it was the only way to get the intel. It was too important to let the opportunity slip away.

Lucas left the grid and headed for Marilyn’s house. It was time to wrap up a few loose ends. As he climbed into his car, he thought about Nyssa one more time. He really hoped that he was doing the right thing letting her go on her own. It would break him in two if anything happened to her now.


	29. Secrets Unfolding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is one more chapter to finish this story in the series. I will post the last one within the first week of February. I am working on a plan of using Jo and Ros more in the next story. Yep, Ros is going to get a chance to see exactly how Nyssa works when on a mission. Reviews are most welcome.

Nyssa was happy that Lucas managed to talk Harry into cancelling the surveillance on her so long as she cooperated with them and have Lucas keep a close watch on her. Lucas dropped Nyssa off at her apartment and helped her pack some clothes. She changed out of her business attire and into her usual blue jeans, plain t-shirt and leather jacket. She and Lucas parted ways when she left on her Indian motorcycle to meet with Bakari while Lucas went to Marilyn’s house for a visit.

The tracker that Lucas slipped into Nyssa’s jacket was still there when he switched on his mobile. At least, he could still keep tabs on her in case something were to happen.

This mysterious faction was getting more dangerous the longer they played these cat and mouse games. What was their endgame? Did they play these games with those other agents that were suspected of falling victim to their schemes? Or, was there something special about Nyssa?

Obviously, she was a very accomplished spy. She was able to think on her feet and get out of multiple situations. He witnessed that for himself at the night club. He read her file that Elizabeta handed to him about the operations that she took part in. She would be a very valuable prize in the intelligence world. In addition to her knowledge on past operations, she was very good with improvised high-tech gadgetry and weapons.

Any government around the world would pay a high price for her, and if they could turn her to work for them, she would be a dangerous enemy. No wonder the FSB wanted her so badly.

Lucas pocketed his mobile and drove straight to Marilyn’s. He played a little music from the radio to help get his mind off of the FSB. Each time he thought about the agency, his memories of his time in Lushanka would come back. He was not ready to deal with all that right now.

Lucas pulled up in front of Marilyn’s house and walked toward the door. He noticed Nyssa’s mother at the front window with a cigarette in her hand watching him as he exited his car and headed for her front door. Before he could knock on the door, she opened it and greeted him with a warm smile.

“Lucas, how are you dear?” she asked in a welcoming motherly expression.

“I'm well, Marilyn.” Lucas smiled. “I've popped by to visit and to speak with you about something important.”

Lucas casually climbed to steps to the entrance cautiously waiting for an invitation without having to barge in. Marilyn’s smile grew bigger as she stepped aside to let the man she hoped would be her future son-in-law inside.

“I am delighted that you've come by, although I had hoped it would have been my daughter,” said Marilyn. “She told me that she was going to visit this afternoon.”

“She had a meeting,” said Lucas.

Lucas walked inside and noticed Marilyn's neighbor, Karen, seated in the dining room. He was taken briefly by surprise, not expecting his former client to be in the house. Karen looked up from her tea cup and smiled.

“I was just telling Marilyn how her daughters and their friends helped me and my son with those loan sharks. I just can’t tell you how much Danny and I appreciate what you've done for us,” said Karen as she rose from her chair to cross the room and give Lucas a hug.

“Thank you, but Nyssa is really the one who deserves the gratitude. She helps people in need,” he said thinking back to why Nyssa took these cases.

“I cannot fathom how you managed to do it,” she said, almost like she was asking.

“It might be better for you and Danny if you never know the details.” Lucas smiled. His voice was polite, but the tone suggested that they drop the subject.

Karen smiled and nodded in agreement. She caught the hint. She knew that the steps they took was definitely not within the fine letter of the law, no matter how positive the outcome. She did not need to know how, just that these wonderful people did what they could to help and took nothing in return. That should and did satisfy her.

“Well, I should be on my way.” Karen turned to Marilyn. “I will call again soon.”

Marilyn followed Karen to the door and thanked her again. When Karen left, Marilyn closed the front door and turned back to Lucas with a smile on her face. Now, it was time to get down to business.

“Would you care for a cuppa, Lucas? I could definitely use one,” said Marilyn as she walked past Lucas toward the kitchen. She snuffed out her cigarette in the small tray on the table as she went.

“Yes, thank you.” Lucas followed her and stopped at the kitchen door. “We have a few things to discuss.”

“Oh?” Marilyn asked. “And, what would that be?”

“Nyssa told me about two men who came to your home several days ago. You promised to tell her about them if we took care of Karen’s and Danny’s little problem,” Lucas said watching Marilyn filling the kettle with water.

“I had forgotten all about that. Nyssa never mentioned it since that day you came looking for her. I'm surprised that you are asking about it and not my daughter. Is it about some secret mission that you two are working on?”

Lucas was taken back by her question. How much did Nyssa tell her mother about what they do? He could bet that Lucy had been saying more than she should, but not Nyssa. Marilyn watched Lucas’ astonished face and smiled.

“Did you think that I wouldn’t notice? I knew that my daughter wasn't traveling around the world working selling cosmetics. She always said that it was for work, but she never said for who. Either she worked for some criminal mastermind, or she was a spy.” She turned toward Lucas after putting the kettle on the stove. “I am not dumb. I appreciate it if you will not treat me as such.”

“It was not my intention to…..,” Lucas started to say, but Marilyn smiled and held up her hand.

“Save your breath. I know that you can’t explain it all. I am just happy that she is safe and has you to look after her.”

Lucas merely smiled as he reached for the biscuits and helped Marilyn with the cups. He opted out of saying anything more on the subject and, instead, turned the conversation back to the men in question.

“Marilyn, I need to know why those men were at your house. Can you tell me anything at all about them?”

Marilyn placed the sugar bowl and cream container on the table. She turned to Lucas and motioned for him to take a seat while she retrieved the kettle. She returned and poured the tea into the cups before she sat down.

“They were medium height. Tall for me, but not quite as tall as you.” Marilyn offered the sugar and cream while she continued with her story. “Both had dark hair. One of them was a large man. He was the one who wanted to see that old car that once belonged to Frank.”

“They spoke to you? What did they say?”

“They asked about my relationship with my children, especially with Nyssa,” she said as she took a sip from her cup. “I told them that we have a wonderful relationship.”

Marilyn offered the biscuits to Lucas before taking a couple for herself. She bit into the biscuit and sipped more tea before she continued. She stared into her cup as if looking to find her words. Lucas could tell that this story was slightly emotional for her.

“I told them that she phoned me all the time when she was away. She was a loving daughter who cared a great deal for her family, and they wrote it down.”

Lucas studied her as she spoke. He could tell that she was lying. It was getting harder for her to speak the more she recounted the story. His heart went out to her. He knew about Nyssa’s relationship with her family was rocky, but he did not see until now how much it also affected the rest of the family.

“Why did you say that?” he asked taking a chance that he did not seem like intruding into personal family business.

“I don’t know,” she answered. She knew that Lucas could see through her lies. “It seemed far more pleasant to believe than the truth.”

Marilyn took another cigarette from her case and lit it. She took a long drag from it then turned toward Lucas. He smiled and gently reached for her hand as comfort.

“I won’t pretend to understand your situation with your daughter, but I know how strongly Nyssa cares and protects her family. I can’t explain exactly how I know this. I just know that she loves you and Lucy dearly,” he said.

“And, you too, I imagine,” said Marilyn with a smile. “She cares about you, a lot. With that in mind, I must warn you that you have your work cut out for you if you think that you can rein her in. She can be quite a handful, even when she was a child.”

Lucas smiled at her. His mind drifted back to the many times he had worked to keep Nyssa out of trouble. It was as Marilyn had said. Nyssa was quite the handful.

“There is one other thing,” Marilyn said changing the subject. “Those men had given me their number and asked me to phone them if Nyssa were to contact me again. I’m giving it to you.”

Marilyn stood from her chair and walked over to her mantle. She took a small slip of paper tucked under one of her family pictures and walked back toward Lucas. He had also stood up when Marilyn rose from her chair and followed her into the living room. She handed him the paper with the number scrawled across it.

“Thank you! Did you phone them? About Nyssa?” Lucas had to ask.

“No, Lucas, I did not. Nyssa is family, like you. And, family is more important.”

Lucas smiled and said his goodbyes before exiting Marilyn’s house. He had to get in touch with Nyssa and find out about her meeting with Bakari Essam. As he approached his car, he pulled his mobile from his pocket and dialed the number. There was an eerie silence after two rings until he heard a man’s voice.

 _"You've been a busy boy, Lucas. You and Nyssa....,"_  said the voice with an American accent.

“Who is this?” Lucas started losing his patience.

_"We've been watching you both. We have big plans for you."_

“Who is this?” Lucas repeated his question more forcefully. He could feel his anger rising.

 _"Stay out of trouble, Lucas, and out of our way. We'll be in touch."_ The line went dead.

While Lucas followed the tracking device on his mobile, Nyssa rode across the city to the British Library. It was Bakari’s suggestion that they meet someplace quiet, yet public. Nyssa parked her Indian and went inside. She casually walked through the building through the bookcases toward the back. After ten minutes, she found Bakari thumbing through the classic literature. Bakari looked up from his book and watched as Nyssa approached him.

“Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo,” she said motioning to the book that he was reading. “How appropriate! The story about a man wrongly accused and sentenced to prison.”

“And, yet he managed to escape and execute a plan of revenge on his accusers. You were a good spy, Nyssa, and friend. It is a shame that you are out,” he said.

“I’m gonna to get back in and find out who did this.”

“Well, you need to watch your back on this one.” Bakari replaced the book on the shelf and reached inside his coat. He pulled an envelope from his pocket and passed it to Nyssa. “Stay safe and remember….”

“Never contact you again, I know.” Nyssa grinned as she took the envelope.

Bakari walked past her and headed toward the exit. She watched him leave before she opened the envelope to read the memo.

The memo was a summary of the Blacklist file that she had already read. It recommended that Nyssa McBride be placed on the Blacklist pending a full investigation of the facts. Everything was pretty much what Nyssa had already discovered through the file, but there was one piece of information that she did not have, a coded identification number. Each high-ranking officer had a six digit identification number for classified memos and emails. Nyssa had read enough of those emails to recognize that number and the name assigned to it.

Now, that she finally had a name, she needed to figure out what to do next. Nyssa’s knew that Lucas would be waiting out in front of the library for her. She knew that he placed a tracker in her coat pocket. He had done that the day they first met.

_The man is just too adorably predictable._

She could not blame him. She imagined that he traded in his private parts to get Harry to pull the surveillance on her. It would be stupid of him to just let her go to this meeting without some type of insurance.

She smiled as she walked toward her motorcycle and saw him parked beside it. He was leaning on the bonnet of his car with his arms crossed at his chest. She walked toward him with the envelope in her right hand. She pulled the tracker out of her left pocket.

“Somehow, I knew that you would do this,” she said as she handed him the tracker. “I can’t blame you, really. I’ve given you more than enough reasons not to trust me.”

Lucas smiled as he pocketed the tracker. He eyes drifted down to the envelope in her hand. She raised her arm and also handed him the envelope with the memo inside.

“As I promised, my Blacklist memo. I know that you will keep your promise to me and let me work with you on this, right?”

“Yes,” Lucas said as he took the envelope and pulled out its contents.

He knew it was a lie, but he had no real choice. These people were dangerous. They already knew their names. The only way to protect her was to keep her in the dark until he could get to them first.

“There is a number code for a name,” he said.

“Yeah, I know. All CIA officials use a number code in lieu of a name on classified documents. I guess we’ll have to find out who that is,” she lied. “How did things go with my mother?”

“I’ll tell you later this evening. Right now, you’re coming with me,” he said with a smile.

Nyssa returned his smile and gave him a quick kiss before returning to her Indian. She put on her helmet and started the engine.

She waited until Lucas pulled into traffic, and she followed behind.

It was an impulse decision to keep that last bit of information to herself until later. Despite her love for him, she knew that Lucas was hiding something from her. And, before she shared any more information with him, she needed to get her own plans in motion first.


	30. Unveiled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, another episode in my series is finished. Don't worry. There are other stories in the works. I'll not leave you on a cliffhanger just for kicks. I'm contemplating bringing in Jo and Ros more. I would like to see how Ros and Nyssa can tolerate each other in the field. Please drop me a line and tell me what you think. I would love to hear from you. Constructive criticism is very welcome. Thank you.

Both Nyssa and Lucas arrived together at his flat. Lucas carried Nyssa’s bag up the stairs and into the front door. She did not carry a lot of clothes, assuming that she was not going to stay for very long. Lucas felt a twinge of disappointment in that. It felt nice sharing living space with another person, especially when that person was someone with whom he was very intimate with.

He had already imagined this moment several times, wondering what it would be like if he and Nyssa were to take their relationship a step further and live together. Of course, they were no where near ready for that kind of commitment. They were not what one would consider a normal couple. They were still keeping secrets from each other for a multiple of reasons. Nyssa was getting better, but he still had a suspicion that she was keeping something from him. And, he was struggling with telling her everything about that phone call at Marilyn’s house. 

Should he tell her that he actually spoke with them and risk her going off on her own to find them? What would Harry say about it? It would be disobeying a direct order, not to mention how angry he would be for not telling him about those men in the first place.

That man on the phone had an American accent, and Elizabeta said that those men who told the FSB about her were American. It was too much of a coincidence not to believe otherwise. Were these people a part of the CIA, or a freelance group?

Each answer that they found to this mystery only led to more questions. No, he had to keep this from her in order to protect her. But, she knew that he went to her mother’s house to get information about those men. If he did not tell her something about them, she would know that he was lying. Plus, all she would have to do was ask Marilyn, and her mother would most likely tell her about the phone number.

“So you expect me to share your bed with you?” she asked teasing him as she followed him into his bedroom. He had just placed her bag on the bed then pulled out a few bath towels from his wardrobe. 

“It’s only fair since you shared your bed with me a few nights ago.” He smiled. “Or, do you want your own room to spare me the torture of your snoring?”

Nyssa smirked, grabbed one of the pillows from his bed, and tossed it in his face. He laughed, caught it in mid-air and tossed it right back at her. 

Nyssa took the towels and went into the bathroom to freshen up while Lucas went into the kitchen to prepare the dinner. Before she undressed to take her shower she turned back and walked into the kitchen to ask him about those men who were at Marilyn’s house. Lucas was looking for something to cook when she stopped at the kitchen door.

“You said that you would tell me what Mom said about those men at the house, remember?” she asked.

“They were two men…..dark hair……they left her their number.”

Nyssa’s eyes grew big. She could not believe that they spent the better part of a week going through what they did when her mother had a telephone number all this time.

_That's so typical!_

“Of course, she puts us through hell when we could have been tracking these people down. Why am I not surprised!” She said shaking her head in disbelief.

“Well, the number was a one-use phone. It’s a dead end,” he lied. “It seems our only lead is through your Blacklist memo. We need to track down that coded ID number and find out who wrote that memo.”

“Yeah,” Nyssa smiled a little, giving nothing away. 

She did look a little deflated which made Lucas move toward her and place his hands on her shoulders to reassure her. He cupped her chin with his right hand and gently raised her head to force her to look at him. 

“It’ll be fine. We’ll find out who did this. I promise you.”

She could not stop staring into his soft blue eyes. How many women had fallen for those eyes?

A few seconds had passed between them, but it felt like time had stood still. Lucas slowly lowered his head to gently brush his lips against hers. The kiss was gentle and lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough for Nyssa to wrap her arms around his neck and encourage more. Lucas reluctantly broke the kiss and caressed her cheek as he looked into her eyes.

“I think I better go and wash up,” she whispered and untangled herself from his embrace.

He watched her walk back into the bathroom and close the door. He turned back toward the kitchen to renew his search for food. Just before the water began running in the shower, Lucas heard a faint sound on the other side of his front door.

He reached for his gun hidden in a cabinet then quietly approached the door. He glanced down the hallway for any sign of Nyssa before he continued. He did not want her to be caught in the line of fire. He carefully took hold of the door knob and quickly jerked open the door.

The outer hallway was empty, but there was an envelope at his feet just outside of the doorway. He looked around before picking it up and closing the door. Lucas opened the suspicious package, and he could not believe what he saw.

Inside the envelope were pictures of he and Nyssa making love in her apartment on the night that they invaded the night club. The pictures were taken through her windows with a high-powered lens. Along with those pictures was a handwritten note.

_What busy little bees you two have been!_

There were also pictures of Lucas with Elizabeta at Highgate Cemetery when Elizabeta handed Lucas the FSB case file on Nyssa. The pictures were clear, displaying exactly what type of file he was reading. There was another note attached.

_What would Nyssa say if she found out that you were working with the FSB?_

Lucas quickly stuffed the contents back into the envelope and hid them in a dark area under the sink. This was bad. Nyssa did not know of his undercover arrangement with Harry. Very few people at Section D knew about it. With Nyssa’s past with the Russian government, she could very easily get the wrong idea if someone told her about Elizabeta.

This case was now turning personal, and he was more determined than ever to find them.

He walked into the bathroom and closed the door. The steam from the shower was making the room rather moist, and he immediately felt the sweat collecting around his forehead. Something else was stirring in him when he saw the silhouette outline of Nyssa’s bare body.

“Nyssa, perhaps we can go out for dinner?” he asked to the silhouette behind the shower curtain.

“That's fine. It will give you more time to be useful,” she said with a slight playfulness in her voice.

“What are you asking?” he asked with a smile.

“Well, why don’t you come in here and help me with my back?” With that, Lucas started to undress.

While Lucas and Nyssa showered together, Harry was alone in his office going over the files that Malcolm had sent to his computer. He could not shake the idea that this mysterious faction was playing games with him and his people. Despite Nyssa’s uncanny ability to escape tight situations, she still got out of there too easily. It was as if someone was testing her, watching what she would do.

Then, he thought about Nyssa. Out of all of the operatives, Nyssa was the one person that Sam Walker personally asked Harry to watch over. He wanted to protect her, but from what? Harry was beginning to suspect that there was more to this than simply an agent looking after his protégé.

Harry picked up his mobile and dialed Sam Walker's number. He had questions that needed answered.

_"Harry, how is everything on the other side of the world?"_  asked Sam very jovial.

“Very stressful, Sam. I need you to answer a question, and I need you to be honest with me. Who exactly is Nyssa McBride?” Harry asked bluntly.

_"I already told you that, Harry. Nyssa was one of my best agents."_ Sam sounded surprised by the question.

"She’s more than just that, Sam. Isn’t she? There’s more to her than just a talented operative. There’s something else that you want to protect. You need to tell me now because these people are targeting my officers too.”

Harry made it clear that he was no longer in the mood for dancing around the issue. He heard a quiet pause on the other end of the line before a sigh and more waiting. Sam was contemplating letting Harry in on the secret that he had been sitting on for nearly three years.

_"I'm not comfortable sharing this with anyone. I've kept this a secret ever since Nyssa came back from Moscow three years ago. I ordered her never to speak about this to another soul. No one at the agency knows about this...... No one."_

“Sam, this mysterious faction is playing games with us. The FSB is involved. What do you and Nyssa know that you’re not telling me?”

_"You have to keep Nyssa out of the hands of the FSB. It's vital to the safety of our two nations."_  Sam took another deep breath before continuing. _"Three years ago, Nyssa returned from Moscow after just escaping with a list of people that an asset had given to her to keep safe. He told her that the mission was compromised, and these people were key assets involved with Russia's nuclear program. Apparently, this operation had been going on for nearly 30 years, before the wall fell. Her asset was killed just as the FSB was closing on on them._

_"Nyssa told me what had happened but kept the list of names to herself. I ordered her to tell no one. Only she has knowledge of who they are, and I'd like to keep it that way. If the FSB gets their hands on her, I don't even want to think about what they would do to her to get those names."_

“Did she say what was the name of the operation?” Harry asked as he held his breath fearing what the answer would be.

_"Yes, she said one thing. The operation was called Sugar Horse."_

**End of Part 2**


End file.
